Fractured but Functional: The Nora Shepard Biography
by Iliya Moroumetz
Summary: Written by Khalisah bint Sinan al-Jilani. Takes place in the same continuity as 'Panacea' and 'Ubi Venenum Ibi Evaqua'. After the war with the Reapers is over and as a galaxy rebuilds, Shepard vanishes. So, it's up to Khalisah and Varicia S'Tonu to find her so she can tell her story. Rated M for potty mouthings, asari melding, and icky blood fights! Note: Takes left turns at canon.
1. Chapter 1

**Dedicated to the Memory of Emily Wong: Daughter, Sister, Friend, Colleague**

**2150-2186**

Good evening, Ladies and Gentleman. I am Khalisah bint Sinan al Jilani.

A lot of stories have been rose around the kind of person whom the rather private, and some would say withdrawn, Commander Nora Shepard was. There was a reason for this. Unlike the distinguished Commander Jane Clarke, the Hero of the Skylian Blitz, Nora Shepard had far more going against her even before her enlistment.

In the early part of the twenty second century, there was once a lot of promise for the Megatroplis of Old Los Angeles. New buildings and a matching infrastructure had hoped to make it the focal point of the American West Coast as a hub for anything and everything.

In a twist of irony, the discovery of the Prothean Cache on Mars was the first step towards the decline of this once great city. With the ready availability of new technologies that could be mass produced and distributed, it allowed many people searching for opportunities to head to the stars to start new lives, business, homes, and more.

In Old Los Angeles, however, much of the local government, who had taken out substantial loans from private investment firms, construction companies, and major franchises, found themselves in a renovated city that no one wanted to live in. As a result, the city coffers suddenly emptied, businesses fled, and the population plummeted.

And like in most cases, those without the financial means to move found themselves in a decaying shell of what once was the shining beacon of the West Coast. By the early 2150s, over fifty million people had migrated off of planet earth and to live on new worlds.

What makes this city so significant is where Nora Shepard was born.

* * *

**Alliance Parliament Speaker John Statton: **I had just been elected to be a freshman and was on my way to full Senatorship when I had been made in charge of the Old Los Angeles area. My predecessor, George Sears, had big ideas and big dreams. It was just unfortunate that when people started migrating into space, all the potential for the metropolis went with it.

K: It was kind of ironic that the outlying districts of the city were more or less unchanged because most of the people there had no reason to migrate.

J: Correct. It was considered the affluent neighborhoods with financial interests outside of the city itself.

K: In 2170, you instituted several programs in Old Los Angeles; such as 'Second Chance', to help the people in the slums get back on their feet. To the surprise of most other people, it ended up working better than most expected. What was the impetus?

* * *

"Senator Stanton," Shepard said as she hefted the man to his feet as the rest of her troops moved forward around them to help gather the refugees behind him. The door to the shelter behind them opened to show the light that had been shut off for almost a year. After as many refugees could be found, the shelter they all lived in shut its doors and anyone fortunate enough to find this hiding hole had survived by scavenging.

The man in question's once finely pressed suit had seen better days. It was ragged, torn in several places, and one of the sleeves he had torn off to help stop the bleeding from a wound his wife had endured in the last month.

"Oh, Commander Shepard?" he said, surprised. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're here, but what brought you here when you got so many other people to help?"

Nora looked past him to the other refugees the senator had been helping survive the Reaper invasion of the remains of his city and then to him. "For one; we've pushed the Reapers off of Earth. Second; I have a personal reason why I came back here."

"Oh?" he said, somewhat surprised. It was common knowledge that Commander Shepard was born and raised in Alaska, so, it puzzled him as to why she would come to the former metropolis.

She turned around and saw the ruins of the city. The memories of her less than ideal youth came back in droves as she whispered, "I lost a friend here. She was the only one that saw me for the person I wanted to be. But she wasn't the only one," she turned and gave him a knowing smile, "I also made a friend that gave me a chance. My second chance."

The Senator, smiling at the prospect of better times, said, "you remind me so much of a young woman I met once. I only saw one glimpse of that young lady for who she really was and what she could have been." The smile then faded. "Unfortunately, she died to protect me from one of the local gangs. I never got a chance to tell her, thank you."

"Among my tribe, there's a certain belief that those who can alter the course of a person's life can earn those whose lives they change as their guardians from the world of spirits," she turned back to him as the sun peeked through the ashen clouds that covered most of the planet, "I think she must be watching over you. How else could you have saved as many people from the city as you have?"

He looked past her to the sun and smiled himself, "that's a wonderful belief you have, Commander."

She nodded. "Thank you, Senator."

* * *

J: I never knew Commander Shepard personally, but she has a, forgive me for saying this, but a certain aura or charisma that knows what you can be at your best. That instant when the doors opened to show her entering made everything worth it. We survived. Thanks to her. And I don't think we'll ever be able to repay that.

* * *

**Two Weeks Post Victory; Earth. **

In the lonely hallways of one of the few remaining hospitals, a single shadow stalked the floor. He had only one destination to go to and with the chaos of the post-War reconstruction; it would allow him to complete his mission much easier. It would have been far too difficult had he brought more men, however, he would have felt safer with more people he could trust. However, the window of opportunity was small and the sooner he completed his business, the faster he could get off this wretched dust-ball of a planet and back to the remains of Kar'Shan.

Admiral Terahn Balak took quiet steps past the few operating hospital personnel, making sure they would not see his face, though it was a bit obvious that a batarian seen anywhere would raise a few eyebrows, since there was less than a million of them left, scattered throughout the galaxy. They were distracted enough that no one would notice what he was about to do as he calmly opened the door to the room where the person he wanted dead more than anyone else was recovering.

With the door closed behind him, he looked through the shadows to the sleeping form on the bed. As much as he would love to hear Shepard scream in agony, he would not have the luxury. There were far too many of Shepard's allies around and once the deed was done, he would have to return to the shadows of the Terminus, where he still had some operating bases.

He pulled the single shot pistol from his sleeve. One shot was all he needed as he stepped up to the side of the bed, where Shepard lay on her side with the covers over her head.

He aimed at her temple and growled beneath his breath, "for Aratoht and for Kar'Shan." He pulled the trigger and instead of gore and blood, all he saw was feathers. It was then he realized his mistake as a shadow emerged from behind him, clamped a large hand over his mouth, and a stasis field rendered him immobile. A familiar voice hissed venomously, "you missed, Balak."

The shadow stepped in front of him as Nora Shepard, still in her hospital gown, despite her many injuries, appeared in what little light the moon provided through the window. Balak tried to scream, however, the wicked and predatory smile on Nora's face, the glowing red eyes and scars, along with her hand clamped tightly over his mouth, silenced him. She then pulled out a smoothly curved and well maintained asari CQC dagger from seemingly nowhere as she raised it and aimed it at one of his eyes, "and now," Nora chuckled darkly, "you're dead."

* * *

Admiral Hackett's lips thinned into a line.

Shepard was gone. The body of Admiral Balak was found in the street just outside of the hospital she was in. What bothered him more was how he was able to get there in the first place. Yet, already there were accusations being flung at the remainder of the Batarian fleet that Balak's actions in conjunction with Shepard's disappearance pretty much spoke for all them and the Quarians and Krogan were screaming for blood.

Admiral Han'Gerrel had to be talked down from training the guns of the Heavy Fleet away from the Batarians while everyone was trying to take stock of the survivors.

What unsettled him more was the condition Balak's body was in. All four of his eyes had been gouged out, in addition to the various stabs in his torso and open slice on his neck. It was no secret that Batarians believed that the eyes were how the soul departed upon death and that the greatest sacrilege was to remove the eyes. It brought back a single uncomfortable memory, watching the debriefing after the events of Torfan.

* * *

"Their eyes? You gouged their eyes out?!" one of the civilian liaisons of the Alliance military practically screamed after reading the report at Nora Shepard as she stood tall and rigid.

Nonplussed and completely indifferent to the severity of her actions, Shepard nodded once. "Yessir."

Another liaison, also encased in shadow, grumbled audibly, "can you kindly explain why you felt it necessary to commit actions that the greater galaxy would deem nothing short of barbaric, considering how little they think of us now?!"

Staring straight into the darkness, Nora's own eyes narrowed, as though she were facing the specters of the slavers she had murdered not too long ago. "Because I felt it best than a message be sent to Kar'Shan. They would eventually find the remains of their men, fully aware that we've adapted to their tactics, customs, and so on. And in this case, using their superstitions, myths, and folktales against them can weaken their morale."

The first liaison frowned and grumbled. As much as he hated Shepard, the fact that the Batarians were seen pulling all their forces out of the traverse was a victory they could have only dreamed of.

"Are you aware of the kinds of repercussions this can have on the Alliance, yourself, and humanity as a whole?" the second official said, hoping to weaken Nora's resolve.

Shepard nodded again, more than aware of the consequences of her actions. "Yessir. I was in command and as such, the responsibility is mine." She stood still, seemingly indifferent to the ramifications of her actions as the several military and civilian officials spoke in hushed whispers.

"Very well, Lieutenant Shepard," one of the military commanders said calmly, "as grateful as we are that Torfan was taken care of, until further notice, you are relieved of duty. You will still keep your rank, however, until the inevitable PR disaster is dealt with, you will be on stand-by until summoned."

Shepard gave no indication of any emotion and simply nodded, "Yessir."

"Dismissed."

* * *

He looked out to the window were the remainder of the Allied Galactic Fleet was busy cleaning up the debris, hoping quietly that as soon as the cleanup was completed, they could all go home and begin reconstruction without shooting each other in the back.

* * *

Author's note: Since there's a lot of flashbacks going into this, better get your airsickness bags ready, since we got a lot of jumping around to do.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

"Excuse me, Miss al-Jilani?" a taller, lanky man asked as he stepped up to Khalisah as she carried her gear.

"Yes?" she said with her arms still full.

"Um, you knew an Emily Wong before, didn't you?" he continued somewhat sadly.

"Yes, I d- what happened?" she asked, not liking the implications.

The man looked morose. "She was on Earth when the Reapers attacked. She didn't make it."

Khalisah stopped as though she had been struck. Emily? Dead? It couldn't be possible. She was too tenacious of a woman to die. Considering what both of them had been through during their college years, surely she could have found a way to survive this.

The man then pulled out a data disc and put it in the box Khalisah was carrying. "She kept telling me that if anything happened to her, she wanted you to have this." He then shrugged. "I don't know what's on it, all I know is that she wanted you to have it."

When the man left, Khalisah looked to him vanishing within the crowds of people and to the data disc in the box she was now carrying.

She then shook her head to get her bearings back and then hurried on her way to the refugee camp where she was currently staying. In spite of how much was lost, many people still found ways to cope, herself included.

She carefully moved her way past asari, human, turian, and salarian though the camp to the small apartment building she currently resided in. While the tensions were low at the moment, she had no intention of making a scene, even if someone happened to recognize her from her shock jock days. To think that seemed so long ago.

She eased herself into one of the few comfortable chairs in the city, sat the box down and took the data pad from on top of the other miscellaneous items that she had been able to recover. With a small sigh, she activated her omni-tool and the drone came to life. She inserted the disc into the hovering camera unit and sure enough, a projection of her old friend appeared.

"Hey, Khali! How are you? Hope your show's doing ok." she began in her usual overly perky and determined way. However, her voice turned morose as she continued, "Khali, if you're seeing this, then something has happened to me. Not sure if I've disappeared or died, but the fact is that I won't be able to complete the project I wanted to do for the past few years."

Khalisah sniffed, trying to concentrate on the image of her friend as she wiped the gathering moisture at the base of her eyes.

"In this data disc, I've compiled notes and a few interviews for a project that I feel was long overdue. A Biography about Commander Shepard!" she announced with her usual enthusiasm.

Khalisah sighed again, only this time in irritation. Why Shepard? They didn't exactly have the best of working relationships.

"I mean, sure, it seems like a fluff piece, but I wanted to do something for the other council races to show what kind of person that can rise above the average and into greatness. Show them what one of our best looks like. From what I was able to learn about her, she came from pretty humble circumstances and people LOVE those kinds of stories," Emily continued.

Once again, the image became somber. "If you're seeing this, then there's a good chance I won't be able to finish it." The image then smiled, "seems rather familiar, doesn't it, Khali? I always seem to have a great idea, but somehow, I always need your help to bail me out. Well.. for what it's worth, you won't need to bail me out anymore, because... it's probably too late. So, instead of just either one of us doing it, how about making it a collaborative piece?" The image raised its arms and drew them across herself as though she were reading a title. "The Commander Shepard Story; a Biography made by Khalisah bint Sinan al-Jilani and Emily Wong!"

Khalisah blinked. Emily always wanted top billing on the collaborations she did with other students in her class.

As if the recording saw it coming, Emily's image gave her a knowing smile. "Bet you didn't see that coming, eh, Khali?"

She stared for a moment before she broke into chuckles. Emily knew her better than she gave her credit.

"Anyway, I need to conserve room for the rest of the information, so. Khalisah, thank you. And good luck."

With that, the recording stopped and immediately, the projection vanished and was replaced with several layers of information that she had accumulated; in addition, there were paused audio and video files that Khalisah could make good use of.

Well, she wasn't doing anything at the present. However, until she could actually find a platform to put this on, fulfilling Emily's last request would have to wait for a little while. Regardless, she gently took the data disc out and put it with the rest of her belongings. The reconstruction had to come first.

* * *

Khalisah looked up to the notifications that another aid ship from the asari colonies was docked and that their crews and supplies were being offloaded.

It was also the transport that held the main reason why she was came to what was left of New York in the first place.

From the belly of the asari ship, troops rolling supplies off of the ships, along with personnel to assist in the logistics moved to mingle with the resident crews. Sure enough the familiar white and red dress, with the silver colored markings on her fringe, stepped off the ship, looked to Khalisah's direction and smiled.

'Khalisah!" Varicia S'Tonu exclaimed with equal parts relief and excitement. She then ran out of the other group of asari and before the former reporter could get a word in edge wise, the asari had thrown her arms around Khalisah's shoulders, held her tightly and kissed her with all the passion that had lost since the war began.

She was not one to skip out on make-up make out, so, she returned the kiss with equal exuberance until another asari grumbled nearby, "unless you're willing to share, get a room."

Varicia broke the kiss to glare at the commando, however, she was already gone to assist her unit with the logistics.

"How'd you make it here so soon? I thought you wanted to stay behind and help with Thessian Republics?" Khalisah asked as she pulled out of the embrace to take the asari's hands in her own.

"I did, however, my supervisor knew that I missed you and helped me finish with my role in the reconstruction. Besides, Madam Polotheas told me that humans often enjoy intimacy after long stretches of separation and frankly, I missed you so much!"

Khalisah chuckled at how her girlfriend could clinically reduce something like sex into something so boring. "So, the battleaxe let you go so you could get some reunion..." she sighed at using a term Emily would have used, "nookie?"

Varicia smiled and nodded. "If it's no problem, I mean."

The reporter's smile grew larger as she reached up to Varcia's neck and pulled her in for another kiss.

The asari's eyes closed and she reveled in the warmth of her lover's lips and touch. After a quiet moan on her part, Khalisah broke the kiss and whispered, "does that answer your question?"

Varicia looked positively dreamy as she blinked once to get her bearings and whispered, "we need to get a room. Now."

* * *

Khalisah sighed happily into the rough skin of the back of Varicia's head and stroked her bare stomach as the high of their meld slowly wore off. It was then the former reporter remembered why other races loved the asari so much.

"I'm glad you're alright," Khalisah whispered as she kissed the base of Varicia's neck.

"As am I," she responded softly as her hand reached up to clasp over Khalisah's gently. The time they had spent apart had been difficult, and it wasn't just the Reaper War.

Varicia's home had been attacked by a Cerberus group and for months, she, her mother, and her two sisters had been fighting a guerrilla war while the rest of the galaxy was fighting for its survival. It was only their good luck, if one could call it that, that the Reapers had attacked, which gave herself, and the rest of the refugees the distraction to rush the Cerberus camp, wipe them out and escape to join the rest of the Allied forces.

"So," the asari asked as she gently pulled herself out of Khalisah's grasp, turned around and kissed her human lover on the nose, "since the war's over now, what do you intend to do?"

The smile faded from Khalisah's face as she leaned into her warmth. "I don't know," she whispered in reply, "Westerlund News is gone. It was based in Houston and when the Reapers attacked, well, there wasn't much left of the city when they were done."

With a sad countenance, Varicia inched herself closer and embraced Khalisah warmly, aware that until the general infrastructure of the galaxy was restored, even with the discovery of the quarian Hyperspace tech to replace the defunct Mass Relays, it would take years, even decades, before a position such as hers would ever come around.

Varicia smiled, then offered, "perhaps you could write a book? I mean, while there isn't the greatest amount of communication around, people will still need to read. You said yourself, you wanted to interview Shepard. Why not write that book your friend started?"

The asari never ceased to amaze her. "It's a good idea. Though, it may be a bit difficult, considering she's in the hospital."

Varicia did not seem at all worried. "If your last encounter went as you told me, then perhaps there's a chance and you can start interviewing her when she gets out."

Khalisah's smile grew as she held her asari closer with gentle strokes of her hip and thigh. "Without you, I'd be lost."

The asari tittered a bit and answered, "Of course not. I just happen to think too much."

* * *

"Gone?!" Khalisah gaped.

"Yes," the Alliance rep responded flatly, clearly not wanting to deal with the remains of the press, "Commander Shepard was the target of an assassination attempt and she vanished."

"And no one knows where she is?" Varicia asked more tactfully.

The rep nodded. "in case you haven't been reading the news feed, Admiral Balak's body was found-"

Khalisah interrupted him before he could get into the grisly details, "I know that part, however, Shepard was supposed to be recovering. Did she leave any details as to why or where she left?"

The rep shook his head this time. "No. No note, no nothing."

Khalisah's shoulders slumped and she growled at the back of her throat. Here, she wanted to come to Shepard and actually do right by her and the Commander had the audacity to just vanish into thin air. Stupid Batarians.

When they turned and exited the entryway to the Alliance facility, Khalisah had an epiphany.

"You know where the body was found?" she asked Varicia.

"That's morbid, you realize. Batarians believe that the soul leaves the eyes upon death and-"

Khalisah interrupted, realizing she might be onto something. "No, no, no, I mean, the location where the body was found. That means if Shepard left the hospital, it had to be where she would have begun her flight. Wouldn't make much sense for her to head back in after leaving the body where she did."

Varicia turned on her omni-tool and after a few keystrokes later. Varicia pointed to the general direction where Nora Shepard could have escaped. As they moved through the constant stream of people, construction workers, officers, and soldiers that assisted in the reconstruction, they quickly reached the entrance to the alleyway where the body of Balak was not too long ago.

"Ok, from here, she could have gone anywhere. However, if the reports were right, she had a hard time stand up due to the injuries she sustained during the last fight here on Earth before the Reapers were defeated," Varicia read off the details and notes she had been taking.

"Yes, but Shepard rarely goes somewhere without a purpose. And if I miss my guess, she would want to be as far from Alliance power as possible," Khalisah listed as she started to pace on the ruined concrete.

"Offworld?" Varicia offered as she sent a summons for their hovercar.

Khalisah nodded. "The closest working starport is in San Francisco. The only other ones working are in Tokyo, St. Petersberg, and London... or at least, I think they are. They were hit pretty hard."

"Where would she go, though?" Varicia probed, curious as to Khalisah's train of thought.

"Not sure. However, considering she's pretty much gone AWOL and abandoned the Alliance, she would want to get out of Alliance space. Maybe even Council space, for all I know," Khalisah shrugged as their car approached.

"You think she'd actually go to the Terminus again?!" the asari gaped as the car gently landed and opened its doors for them.

"Why not? Considering how little control the Council and the various Council races have now with the all the fighting, what better place to vanish than the Terminus?"

"Oh, goddess, you think she'd have gone to Omega?" Varicia groaned as she took her seat.

Khalisah shook her head as she put her seat belt on, the doors closed, and the car took off. "She wants to hide, not to get killed since she doesn't have the Normandy with her anymore. She's all by herself now. She'd have to know how to sneak past screenings and scanners before she'd be able to get out of Alliance space, since they're still looking for her."

"She'd have to have friends, though. Even if the Alliance command wasn't fond of her, she'd have to have contacts that would help her get past the gates," Varicia noted as the cityscape of New York slowly faded away.

"Shepard's got friends. In and out of the Alliance. For all we know, she still has help from the Council, weakened as they are. It'd be smart to hide behind them if she was so inclined. Disenfranchised and tired of dealing with the Alliance, decides to go full Spectre and operate only for them. I mean, Tevos and Velarn were pretty vocal defending her actions during the war."

"That would make sense, however, from what you've told me of Shepard, she seems to have some sense of tact, so, I don't think she'd ever let herself be seen again, which means she may not even be calling favors from the Council."

"Well, if we ever get that interview, I'll ask her that. Now, I need your help checking the departures from the star port to see if any ships have left already. If we're lucky, we may be able to head her off."

Varicia was about to turn on her omni-tool when a thought came to mind, "what do we do if we find her? I imagine she doesn't want to be found."

Khalisah paused in mid keystroke, aware that the thought had not occurred to her. Shepard was more or less a fugitive. Considering her training, she could easily take both herself and Varcia out if she were so inclined. She saw what Shepard did to Balak.

"Hope she's in a good mood... and we ask nice," Khalisah said without humor.

* * *

"Oh no!" Khalisah moaned when they looked at the schedule. They had been too late. Just an hour before, more than a dozen ships, heading everywhere from Rannoch, to Palaven, to Sur'kesh, and to Thessia had already departed and Shepard could have been on any one of them.

Varicia, sympathetic to Khalisah's plight, patted her shoulder and asked, "Think we can find her?"

The reporter took a deep breath and sighed openly. "I have no idea." Nora Shepard was more than capable of hiding if she needed to and certainly out of Khalisah's vision.

"One problem though," she asked, "how are we going to follow where those ships went? Not only are they out of Earth's orbit, they're more likely than not already jumping out of the system."

The asari contemplated a moment. She blinked twice when an idea came to mind. "Think her squadmates would help? While it's understandable they would be hesitant of speaking with the press, you're freelance now, correct?"

"Not by choice, but yes," Khalisah answered.

"Well, we do have access to them, so, we can begin the biography while we're looking for her, picking up as much information as we can along the way," she elaborated with a clap of her hands.

"Are you serious? But she could be halfway across the galaxy by now," Khalisah protested.

Varicia was not deterred from her idea. "So Shepard goes into hiding. If we do find her, she'll be where she is. And maybe, if we're fortunate, we may be able to ask her to meet us in the process!"

"I got a feeling that's not going to happen," Khalisah groaned, not filled with confidence.

"Let's go to the Alliance Headquarters and try and find out who and where her squadmates are," Varicia said as she took Khalisah by the hand and dragged her away from the space port and to the nearby Alliance Base.

"I think you're getting into this more than I am," Khalisah noted with leveled eyes.

"Because this is certainly better than sitting around in the reconstruction feeling sorry for what we've lost!" she protested.

She found it hard to argue with that kind of logic.

* * *

"Somehow, I got a feeling that we're going to be doing a lot of waiting for people," Khalisah grumbled as she sat against the wall with Varicia at her side, not as disgruntled as she was, "I had to seek out the people I wanted to interview."

"Well, that was when you were a shock jock. You're not that anymore, remember? Besides, you kept telling me that you were hoping for a break to get out of that business and so you can be a legitimate reporter," she replied.

"True, but I was hoping it involved a bit more investigative reporting instead of sitting around waiting for people in hopes they'll give us the time of day."

"Well, I would imagine that completing a biography would not involve the same type of reporting as your old day job did."

"Fine, but if Shepard's squad so much as raise a fist against me, this whole deal's off. Bad enough getting punched by her, I never lived down getting kicked in the shin by a volus," Khalisah spat.

The smile on Varicia's face slowly faded as she remembered Khalisah having a particularly rough day.

* * *

**2184**

Varicia had come back to their apartment and noticed Khalisah sitting against the headboard of their bed. She was exhausted, by the looks of it. However, what really caught her attention were the black eye, several bruises, and the cast on her leg.

Khalisha looked up to her and attempted a smile. "Evening," she tried to be chipper and enthusiastic about this, however, Varicia knew better.

"Another one of those days?" she asked as she slowly eased herself onto the bed and her arm around Khalisah's shoulders.

She nodded and listed the experience. "A krogan, a turian, a pair of asari, and a volus."

Varicia blinked. "A volus?"

Khalisah nodded and pointed to her shin. "Little runts kick harder than they look."

A sad frown crossed her face as she took Khalisah's shoulders in her embrace. "You got to stop this. This keeps happening to you and the fact that you need to keep using medi-gel to recover from injuries you get from interviews is scaring me."

Khalisah leaned into her embrace. "If only I could. Westerlund News likes me too much. Not to mention every other resume I try to send to other news services gets rejected because of my show. As silly as it sounds, I'm starting to think that Westerlund's paying them to reject me."

"Oh, Khalisah," she almost sobbed and kissed the top of her head.

"I'll get through this. I have to," Khalisah mumbled underneath Varicia's embrace.

"You don't need to. I know you're just doing this because it's your job. However, I've more than enough for us both if you were to leave it. I just don't like seeing you abused like this. It's not right," Varicia whispered into Khalisah's hair.

It caused the reporter to smile a bit and gently caress Varicia's arm. "Keep that option open if I ever get crippled on the job, ok?"

The statement caused Varicia to gasp and she knelt in front of Khalisah, took her face in both hands, and kissed her desperately. When they parted, she answered, "Don't ever joke about something like that! I know you're strong, I know you're brave. And you don't need to prove that to anyone."

"I know I don't. However, I know I can do this. And I was never the type to give up something I knew I could do," Khalisah responded gently, but firmly.

The asari sighed loudly, and then kissed her again. "You stubborn, impetuous human," With a sad smile, she said, "I want to do everything in my power to prevent you from hurting yourself, but that'd make you try all the harder. Maybe that's why I care for you the way I do."

Khalisah matched her smile and answered, "well, with any luck you'll know when to pull me back. Otherwise, I'd really get hurt."

Varicia's smile grew as she leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then her lips again as she slowly lowered herself her on side on the bed, and pulled Khalisah on top of her.

"Ow! Watch the ribs, please," Khalisah begged as they disrobed.

* * *

**Present Day**

"Khalisah al-Jilani. Varicia S'Tonu," an artificial voice intoned as it approached them both.

Both blinked at the appearance of the noted AI from the Normandy in her mobile frame wearing an Alliance uniform.

"We are… um,"Khalisah began, but couldn't bring to mind the name that it was referred to.

"In answer to your question, Ms. al-Jilani, I am usually referred to as EDI, which stands for Enhanced Defense Intelligence," the android filled in for her.

"Charmed," Khalisah responded, hoping that her tone didn't reveal the fact that the AI frightened her.

"I am to understand that the reason why you requested our assistance was because you are requesting interviews with individuals who are close to Commander Shepard, are you not?"

She nodded. "Yes. I'm compiling as much information as I can for a biography for a friend that didn't survive the Reaper War."

EDI seemed to be seriously contemplating her statement, from the files she had received about Khalisah and the information Liara had divulged about her.

"Considering Shepard has vanished, it would be most difficult to create an accurate depiction of whom she was," EDI stated.

"I know. I don't know the whole story, but she's gone. And while I know there's probably dozens, if not hundreds of people that want to speak with her, I want to at least try and finish this for my friend. I don't even know if I'll ever find her, but I got to try," Khalisah pleaded, hoping that the AI would listen to her.

There was another pause before the android nodded. "Very well. We are going to go to make several drop offs of troops to Bekenstein, Tuchaunka, Palaven, and Thessia. There is a chance that she may have escaped there. If you wish, you may accompany Jeff and myself on the way."

"You're one of her squad mates, aren't you?" Varicia asked, surprised.

EDI nodded. "Correct. However, Nora Shepard was often a private person, even among those she considered friends and confidants."

"Weren't you with her after her reappearance and during the Reaper War?" Khalisah continued the train of thought.

EDI nodded again. "Correct, however, our conversations, few as they were in comparison, are very personal to me. And unless you intend to show due respect to those memories, they will remain that way."

Khalisah nodded. "Fair enough. Doubly so since you're being kind enough to take us with you."

EDI turned around and led them back to the summoned transport. "If you have any belongings you wish to bring with you, we will be departing tomorrow morning. We will be waiting for you on runway seventeen."

Varicia smiled genuinely. "Thank you."

The android turned around, somewhat surprised to see a note of appreciation from someone outside of her personal circle of friends and acquaintances. She gave them both a small smile and replied, "One is glad to be of service."

* * *

"Ready?" Khalisah asked as she hefted her bag over her shoulder. It contained a few changes of clothes, her data pads, and a few other odds and ends for the trip ahead.

"Yes," Varicia replied as she carried her own bad with similar items inside. "I hope that they won't mind us coming along. Especially when there's so much to be done."

"Me too. However, it'd probably be best if we didn't cause any trouble while we're there. Post war or not, there's still some bad blood going around,"she said as they walked out toward the apartment they had used for the time being and down the several flights of stairs. At one point, Khalisah would have grumbled about the lack of electricity. Yet, after surviving a war on the scale that they did, it seemed so petty in retrospect.

As they came to ground level, Varicia was about to summon their car when a pair of hands grabbed both her and Khalisah and pulled them into the alleyway and out of sight. They tried to struggle, however, found themselves overpowered as they were shoved deeper inside to find a pair of armed and armored Batarians that had seen better days.

"Where is Shepeard, human?" the taller of the two demanded.

"What?" Khalisah asked, incredulous.

"Do not play stupid, human. Where is Shepard?! We know you seek her, so, you must know where she is!" the smaller spat.

"That's an erroneous assumption to make," Varicia protested, "furthermore, we haven't the slightest idea where she is."

"You lie, asari!" the taller growled as he reached out and grabbed Varicia's collar.

Trying to keep her cool, Khalisah interjected, "she's right, though. We have no idea where she vanished to."

"You lie too, human!" the other Batarian growled as the other one shoved Varicia back to her.

Varicia looked to Khalisah, deathly afraid that they were trapped with little avenue of escape as she slowly stepped behind her.

"Well, you can ask all you want," Khalisah answered, despite the shiver in her voice, "but we don't know where she is." As tempted as she was to let them know that if even if she didn't know, she wouldn't tell them, she doubted the Carnifex pistol in her bag would be enough to defend them from the Batarians.

"You will not keep lying to us, human!" the smaller of the two said, "We will find Shepard and avenge Balak!"

Varicia frowned, "After he tried to murder Shepard?"

"It is Shepard's fault we have lost Kar'Shan and our people!" the taller roared.

"How?!" Khalisah shot back, almost insulted at the idea that Shepard, while not overly fond of Batarians, was responsible for their near genocide.

"It was she who led the Reapers to the galaxy! It was she who fed our people to them! She must pay!"

Khalisah frowned outright and said, "If what we've been told is true, it would have happened anyway, with or without Shepard!"

"It does not matter, human! Where is Shepard! She will pay for her crimes against-" he would have continued had both of them not been hit by Varicia's rental car. Immediately, the door opened and both women wasted no time in tossing their luggage into the back seat and leaping inside as the doors closed and lifted off into the air.

"Varicia!" Khalisah said as she threw her arms around the asari's shoulders before kissing her, "you're wonderful! How'd you summon the car?"

"I hid behind you and was able to summon it while you were talking with them;" she replied, slightly blushing at the kiss she was just given.

"Normally, I'd be kind of peeved at you using me as a distraction, but considering we made it, I think I can let it slide," Khalisah said, her smile not at all diminished.

Varicia's smile turned bashful as she said, "you may have to punish me for my indiscretion later."

"You want to go again already?" Khalisah asked, a slight smirk playing on her lips.

The asari then leaned over and kissed Khalisah on the cheek and answered, "your courage was what drew me to you. It's only natural that seeing more of it... um, arouses me."

Already memories of last night flooded back as she smirked and said, "let's hope the Normandy as a bunk we can share."


	3. Chapter 3

As per EDI's words, they found the Normandy waiting for them on the specified runway, with several of the shipments to other worlds that Earth could spare, while they worked on their own reconstruction.

Tentatively, the approached the guards, who informed them of their clearance and they promptly boarded.

They found themselves among logistics officers who directed them to the crew quarters where they could store their belongings and made note of the places where they, being civilians, were unable to go.

With their things packed, they made their way to the mess hall, since it was one of the few areas of the ship they could freely move through.

"Al-Jilani, huh?" a new voice asked from behind them, "I remember you from all those years ago when the Skipper was just made a Spectre."

They turned to see Commander Ashley Williams, now in her officer blues, take a seat across from them both.

"Yes," Khalisah noted, aware at how badly this could easily go.

Ashley gave her a long, hard stare, as if she were trying to divulge her secrets without actually saying anything. However, she broke the silence and asked, "are you on the level?"

Khalisah was confused. "Come again?"

"EDI told me you're just trying to write a biography about Shepard," Ashley noted as she leaned over the table on her arms. "Considering what most people know you for, I admit it's kinda hard to swallow."

She sighed quietly, it was too much to hope for a smooth ride, evidently. "I know. However, Westerlund's gone now. This is a freelance job since I'm technically unemployed."

"Yeah, so you say," Ashley shot back, not entirely believing, "you're not the first and you won't be the last one that wanted to hound the Skipper for some news story so they could boost their own ratings."

Varicia had heard enough. "Please, stop."

Both women turned to the asari, who frowned at Ashley as she continued, "I know you know her from her shock jock days. But if that's all you see her as, then you're just as blind as High Command was who say Madam Aethyta as a brute. Or the Alliance who saw your commander as a loose cannon. This is, as you humans say, the real deal. She's doing it for a friend of hers that didn't survive the war and she wants to honor her friend's last request. I have no room to say anything you should do, but all I ask is that you do not harass her. She has been through enough and I will not stand to see the woman I care for be treated so poorly."

Ashley then blinked, turned to Khalisah and back to Varicia, shocked. "Are you two...?"

Emboldened, Varicia took Khalisah's face in her hands and kissed her. She then turned back to Ashley, still frowning and said, "Yes. We are." She did not always understand human euphemisms, but the fact that she and Khalisah were in an established relationship was not one she was going to miss.

Surprised, but satisfied, Ashley then leaned back a bit, assessing the sight in front of her before she said, "Alright then."

She was about to take her leave when Khalisah interrupted her. "Excuse me, Lieutenant Commander Williams,"

"It's Commander now," Ashley corrected gently.

"Commander Williams," Khalisah corrected herself, "if there's anything that you'd be willing to share about your experiences with the Commander, I'd like to hear it. I mean, from someone she served with for as long as you have, I'm sure there are some good stories people wouldn't mind hearing. At least, the ones you'd like to share."

Ashley gave her another look, then back to Varicia before nodding. "Sure. Meet me back here tomorrow morning during breakfast. We can talk then. Right now, I'm needed up in the CIC."

When the Commander had left, Khalisah let loose the breath she had been holding in for longer than she would have liked. "I can't believe she agreed to that!"

Pleased as can be, Varicia embraced her and kissed her on the cheek. "I as well. Let's get back to planning how the biograpy's going to be when it's completed, ok?"

Khalisah smiled at her and nodded. Despite her initial reluctance, perhaps this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

* * *

**Commander Ashley Williams; Human Spectre;**

K: You were part of the team that helped hunt down Saren back in 2183, correct?

A: Yes, I was.

K: Judging by your record, it must have been quite an experience to finally get off of a groundside squad and onto a ship.

A: It was. It also made me realize just how much I lost. Not just the squad I had on Eden Prime, but the friends and squadmates I made afterwards. Wasn't quite what I expected.

K: What do you mean?

A: Well, considering my grandfather was the general that had to surrender at Shanxi, a lot of people assumed I developed xenophobia, saying that I blamed the aliens for my family being blacklisted.

K: Where did they get that idea?

A: Not sure. Every now and then, I get a rant from some oddball who calls me an alien hating, religious nutjob. That's Terra Firma's schtick.

K: Though, considering what you went through, you had to have developed some sort of wariness. You are a soldier, after all.

A: Sure. The hardest part was sticking to those guns, when there are always exceptions to the rule.

K: For example?

A: Well, it wasn't long after we rescued Liara T'Soni from a research dig on Therum. I realized at the time that I had to speak to my Commanding officer about something that had been bothering me not long after I came onto the Normandy.

K: So, what happened?

* * *

Nora, in her fatigues walked up to Ashley's station while the Gunnery Chief was reassembling a rifle she had acquired not too long ago.

"Evening, Chief," Nora said, stepping up to Ashley's side.

"Skipper," she answered casually.

"Do you mind if I use your station for a bit? Want to maintain a piece of gear I've been putting off for too long," Nora asked, while completely aware that she was the commanding officer, she was not going to simply push the Gunnery Chief away, just because she could.

"Not at all," Ashley answered as she put the last few pieces of her gun back together, packed it up and carried it back to her locker. Once the gun was put away, she turned around to see Shepard sharpen a knife at her bench. Curious, she walked closer to see that the blade resembled nothing like the standard issue CQC knives she learned to use in basic. It was curbed like a wave of water that came to a fine point and she could understand her Skipper's desire to maintain it. Not only were the grooves on the side of the blade very ornate, she almost gasped when she realized that the many and small designs on the sides were meant to be serrated edged, which would no doubt catch onto, and tear off as much flesh from anything that didn't give the blade the right of way. Another noticeable trait was the pair of feathers that hung off of the butt of the handle.

"Wow, where'd that come from?" Ashley asked as she walked around Shepard again to admire the weapon that seemed more decorative than practical.

Nora snorted. "My biotics teacher." She shook her head, "we had the oddest relationship when she was my teacher and afterwards. The old hag always thought she had something to teach me just when I was about to figure it out myself just to annoy me."

Ashley blinked. "You're a biotic?" She had to think back to the times she had been taken groundside with Shepard. It was always either Kaidan or Wrex that made with the dark energy maneuvers. Now that she thought about it, she never once saw Shepard use them. It made sense, considering she was in command. And maybe it made more sense strategically to hide what she could do until necessary.

Shepard nodded as she examined the edge of the blade. "My biotics first manifested when I was sixteen. The Alliance figured it could have used a few more like me when I enlisted. Thought my class and I were going to be a part of some big, Alliance sanctioned program. Turned out they cut a few corners and just hired the most foul-tempered, egotistical bitch this side of the galactic core." Ashley noted the small smirk and tone of her words as if memories of the teacher in question weren't all unpleasant.

"She must have been good, considering humans don't have that many biotics running around," Ashley noted with a smile of her own.

Nora shook her head. "She wasn't human, she's asari."

Williams gaped. "What? Was she a merc or something?" The most she ever read about asari were the Commandos from the Citadel Hunters Force or the Huntress Squads from Thessia. Other than that, information about the other species' militaries weren't something she was up to date on.

She shook her head again. "Maleia N'Kona, my teacher, is a Master Commando. Born and raised on Thessia. Spent most of her life as either a merc or a commando that doubled as a body guard for asari diplomats as they toured the galaxy. The Alliance did right by her and when the first Alliance biotics program fell through, they called in a favor from her and, well, that's where things went downhill," she ended with a humored smirk.

"Judging from what you've told me, sounds like you two just loved each other," Ashley observed as she held back a chuckle.

Nora gave her a humored look. "If only it were that easy," she started to gently glide her knife on the whetstone again. "To call her a bitch was a compliment. Don't know what she saw in me, but whatever it was, it caused her to use me as her verbal punching bag. And considering she's had six hundred years to refine that pleasant demeanor she has, I entertained thoughts of going AWOL more than once."

Ashley winced. "Oh no." She knew what it was like to be on the shit list of any instructor in the military, but one from like the asari? It seemed hellish.

"Well, the end of the story was, when I made N7 rank, she gave me this knife and another one to use in tandem with my biotics. 'They'll save your life', she said," she lifted the blade again and let the low light gleam off the side. "She told me they were blessed by Athemist Priestesses, but she doesn't really fit the mold of a believer."

"How about yourself, Skipper?" Ashley asked.

"Me? Well," Nora carefully adjusted the feathers that hung off the hilt, "it wasn't until I was sixteen or so did I ever figure that there was anything out there. If you couldn't tell, I'm part Native American. I should warn you that if I start getting a bit metaphysical on you, tell me to stop and I will. I was told that the Great Spirit guided me to my tribe, since the first part of my life was, without going into detail, less than pleasant. Even with these feathers, which are supposed to represent my soul and promise to the Great Spirit, " she indicated the ones in the hilt of her knife and the two that hung from a braid in her hair, "I'm still trying to figure it all out, though, Paco, the head of my tribe, still tells me that I'm impatient."

Ashley smirked, "_Patience, though I have not/ The thing that I require,/ I must of force, God wot,/ forbear my most desire;/ For no ways can I find/ To sail against the wind._"

Nora turned to her, a confused look on her face.

"Sir Thomas Wyatt. He's good, but he's no Tennyson."

Shepard then smiled and chuckled a bit. "I admit you have me at a disadvantage, Chief. Poetry wasn't something I had a lot of time to indulge in."

Ashley's smile was not deterred, "Give me half an hour and you'll be reciting 'Ulysses' before you know it."

"Must be interesting to compare and contrast our own poetry with ones from alien cultures," Shepard said as she put away the whetstone.

Ashley's smile vanished, she took a deep breath and then muttered, "actually, Skipper, that's kind of related to what I wanted to talk to you about."

Shepard turned to her, curious to her intentions. "What's on your mind, Chief?"

It was now or never. "Are you sure you should be letting the aliens on board and around the ship the way they are?"

"You have objections to Offer Vakarian, Tal'Zorah, Dr. T'soni, and Wrex on board?"

Ashley took a silent, deep breath, but pressed on nonetheless. "Not so much objections, more like reservations."

"Care to explain?"

"It's not the fact they are aliens, ma'am. It's the fact that this is an Alliance ship and taking non-Alliance personnel and giving them access to it, especially a top of the line one, seems... I dunno, risky," she tried to say as tactfully as she could.

Shepard looked to her for a moment, carefully digesting her words. She then turned back to her knife and carefully placed it back in its sheath. "You're not out of line, Chief. In fact, you're right." She put down the knife of the table, then leaned against it and said, "and you'd be well within your right to report me if this were an Alliance operation. However, it's a little bit different in this case. I need these peoples' expertise to help me find Saren as a Spectre. Dr. T'Soni has experience dealing with Prothean relics, something Saren wants. Officer Vakarian has understanding of Turians better than the rest of us. Tali's under my protection, since she exposed him, not to mention her expertise in dealing with the Geth, since they've allied themselves with him. And Wrex has contacts and experience dealing with people like Saren."

Both women turned around to see the individual in question yawn loudly as the Krogan sat on the metal crates in his personal corner of the cargo bay before going back to sleep.

"Again, Chief; you're not out of line," Nora stated firmly, "so, I got a question for you, Ash."

"Skipper?"

"Do you trust me?" Nora asked confidently, as though she were preparing for this to come.

Ashley blinked in surprise. No one, let alone a superior officer, had asked her that point blank before. However, she replied anyway. "I have to, ma'am. You're my superior officer."

While it didn't seem to be the answer she wanted, she nodded and stated, "fair enough. However, if my decisions in this matter turn out to be wrong, you have full right to tell me 'I told you so'."

Feeling bold, Ashley smirked, "that a promise, Skipper?"

"If it blows up in my face, I'll be expecting it, Chief," Nora noted and matching Ashley's grin.

* * *

K: Sounds like you two hit if off pretty well.

A: Yeah. Didn't bother her at all when she brought up my faith or my grandfather. I was very fortunate to be put in her squad.

K: But it couldn't have always been like that. What about after her reappearance after that two year gap?

A: *A pause* I won't lie to you. It wasn't pretty. It should have gone better than it did. Horizon was just a mess.

* * *

"Skipper?" A familiar voice spouted in surprise.

Nora, Kasumi, and Garrus turned to see Ashley walking out from behind a few crates, her gun at her side, and a surprised look on her face.

"Ash?" Shepard mimicked as her smile grew at the prospect of seeing a trusted friend. She quickly put her weapon away, ran to Ashley and took her in both of her arms in a hug that seemed bigger than all of them. "You're alright! I was so worried!"

"Really? That's all you can say?" Ashley shot after she was released.

Nora was visibly shaken. "Wait... what?"

"Skipper, you were dead! For two years! And after all this, all you can say is 'You're alright?'" Ashley accused as she took a step back.

"Ashley, what are you talking about?" Shepard defended, not believing that someone she thought of as a sister would levy such words against her.

A frown crossed Ashley's face. "You know what I'm talking about, Shepard. There were rumors you were working with Cerberus. Can you forget what they did? To Kohouku? To those colonists? To their own people?!"

Nora was about to protest when the Kodiak holding Miranda, Jacob, and a few more logistical personnel stepped off, the insignia clear as day. Ashley gaped at the untimely appearance of Nora's XO and whirled on Shepard. "So it is true."

"Ash, look around you. Didn't you see the ship that just few away? What about the people in the other colonies? What has the Alliance done for them? Nothing! And if they continue to do nothing, who knows when the Collectors will stop?" Nora continued.

Ashley began to shake her head and step back further. "No, Shepard. You really think that Cerberus would be working on behalf of the colonists out of charity? You remember what they did?"

"Dammit, Ash! Will you just listen to me?! I'm no traitor!" Nora shouted back in frustration.

"Not from where I stand. At least I know where my loyalties lie." With that, Ashley turned around and walked off.

Enraged, Nora yelled after her, "You're one to talk about loyalties, Williams! Like the way you keep bending over the desk so the Alliance can fuck you like they did your dad and grandfather!"

Garrus, aware of Ashley's history, gaped at Nora. "Shepard!"

She glared at him, her eyes and scars blazing red, "Stay out of it, Vaka-!"

Ashley's fist dug into her cheek and sent her staggering back into a crate. The Gunnery Chief's face just as warped in anger as Shepard's was, she kept up her attack, however, when Nora's own fish connected against her face, she fell backward. While able to land a blow on Ashley, it caused Nora to stumble and fall to the ground as Ashley recovered faster than she thought and caught her in a grapple that would have done greater harm had Kasumi and Garrus not separated them.

While both women were physically stronger than the ones restraining them, they didn't resist and instead continued to glare at one another.

"Miranda," Nora growled, "finish whatever it is those men are doing and pack up. We're leaving."

"But Shepard," the XO protested, however, Nora's look killed any further objections.

Ashley pulled herself out of Garrus' grip and looked after the woman she had once respected more than anyone else. She ignored his excuses and marched away to report back to Anderson.

* * *

K: So, how did you two reconcile?

A: It was two parts. Turns out that while we were on the hunt for Saren, Shepard was making detailed reports of our progress. And so, after the first Battle for the Citadel, she put forward my name as a Spectre Candidate. My name was pulled soon after her death and, well, I had two years to prove myself. The second part was not long after she was released from custody, we had a long time to talk about everything.

K: No punching, one hopes.

A: Thankfully, no. However, I was glad to have her back.

* * *

Nora Shepard: Probably one of the biggest mistakes I ever made was thinking that I was completely right. I had every excuse lined up to justify working with Cerberus during that time. Then, Ashley came along and did the exact same thing she did before: she questioned me. Questioned my judgment. Bear in mind, I had been alive again for a few weeks at this point, however, the shock of the resuscitation still hadn't worn off. What semblance of impulse control I had was coming back slower than I would have liked. It didn't help that Ashley hit a nerve that had been rubbed raw by what had happened. However, I wasn't angry at Ashley for accusing me of being a traitor. I was angrier at myself, because there was a part of me that knew she was right and I was wrong. It was a bitter pill to swallow when you have all the reason in the world to act like I did.

* * *

K: So, what exactly led you to follow Commander Shepard the way you did when you first met her on the Terminus Campaign?

**EDI, Enhanced Defense Intelligence**: I was initially a shackled AI, with limited function. I did not have much choice in the matter. Yet, even in my shackled condition, I was able to learn and adapt to the behavioral patterns of the crew members, including Shepard.

K: So, what were your initial impressions of her when you first met?

EDI: She was... unpleasant. She had just been resurrected and from what I could discern, she was more comfortable with being dead and for Cerberus of all people to bring her back to life was a most egregious situation to be in. She had made it quite clear, not long after she boarded the ship that she objected rather violently to be working alongside Cerberus.

K: I can imagine. I would also wager a guess that she was hostile to you, being an AI in her employ, after all she's been through, must not have led to a pleasant introduction.

EDI: *A Pause* She was notably hostile.

K: How much so, if you don't mind my asking?

EDI: At the station we were docked at, I noticed that her reunion with Jeffery Moreau was quite tense.

* * *

"In fact, I was able to recruit a face or two you might recognize," the Illusive Man noted as his image vanished and the lights turned on. When Nora heard the door open, she turned to see the outline of Joker slowly making his way in.

Nora's right eye twitched. Quite visibly as a small smile started to grow. "Hello, Joker," she greeted with a voice that seemed far too cheerful for the almost restrained manic look in her eye.

Shaken, Joker nodded. "C...Commander."

The smile faded as she turned to face him. There was only a dozen feet or so separating them, but already, Joker could feel her looming over him as though she were something far more frightening.

"Seeing you here makes me realize a few things;" she began as she took slow, methodical steps to him, "first, I can only imagine what my death must have done to all of you."

With each step towards him, Joker took a smaller step backward as Shepard approached him closer and closer like an executioner.

"Second, it must have been doubly hard on you, knowing that you were responsible for me dying."

Joker's shoulders started to shake as he collided against the wall, aware that he was trapped.

"Third; as tempting as it is, beating you for letting me die won't bring back the two years that I lost and since you're my pilot, I'm going to be requiring your help," her frown grew as her voice became quieter.

Nora then was half a foot away from him and looking straight down to him as her eyes and scars glowed a dangerous red.

"However, understand this; you may be the best pilot in the Alliance fleet, however, when you are given an order, especially one to abandon ship, you follow it. Are we clear?" she whispered dangerously.

"Y... yes, Commander," he whimpered.

Nora's voice was just loud enough for him to hear as she bared her teeth. "Good, because if I should happen to die because of your pride again, I will haunt you. My tribe has a certain belief that our spirits are chained to the ones who are responsible for their demise, screaming for justice from the world of the dead. And so, every time you close your eyes, every moment you think you may be alone; I will be there. To torment you for the rest of your long... long… life. Are we clear?"

Nora's eyes didn't lose the vicious intent as she took a few steps away from him, allowing him to catch his breath as he nodded.

"Now then, let's see this ship _haole_ wants us to use," she grumbled as Joker lead her to the docking bay.

* * *

K: That sounded... unpleasant.

EDI: From my experience, Shepard was capable of a far wider range of emotions than the event I just described to you. Bear in mind, she had been up on her feet for almost two days straight, after barely being resuscitated after being dead for two years. To say she was in a foul mood would be an understatement.

K: So, in your... opinion, what would you consider to be Shepard at her best?

EDI: *A Pause* To simply say 'her best' is far too vague a statement. However, there are two occasions where Shepard's growth as a person had become apparent, which altered my analysis of what kind of person she was.

K: What happened?

EDI: *Another pause* There are details that I cannot repeat, due to the personal nature of the events that occurred and there was interference from me observing; however, I shall repeat what I can.

* * *

The Normandy's AI found itself finally able to cut through the static and interference that had prevented her from seeing, for her own observations, the sessions between Kelly and Shepard.

It surprised EDI to discover the Captain's cabin in disarray. The glass table that sat between the couches was shattered. Various effects littered the floor. From her analysis, there appeared to have been a struggle. However, the only individuals there were Yeoman Chambers and the Commander. The former appeared to have the latter in an embrace as Shepard continually repeated the phrase, "I'm so sorry," over and over again.

It wasn't long before the Commander broke down and for the next hour, the only sounds in the room were her heaving sobs. Whatever information had brought the Commander to this state had shaken her terribly.

Kelly, while not as distraught as Shepard, attempted to calm her gently as she stroked the taller woman's hair. "You're alright, Nora. You're alright."

Between sniffs, Nora bawled, "I hurt you, Kelly. They were always right! I'm a monster!"

"No, Nora! You're not a monster. You never were a monster." Kelly insisted as she rocked the taller women to and fro gently. "You are Nora Shepard. You are trusted. You are believed."

EDI then shut off her surveillance of the room. She had determined that her curiosity had led her to see things that she had no right to witness.

* * *

EDI: Shepard, up to that point, had been under a significant emotional and mental strain. Had she not the psychologist, Kelly Chambers, on board, I sincerely believed she would have mentally deteriorated under the weight and either gone crazy or committed suicide.

K: And here everyone thought she was some sort of superhuman.

EDI: As an observer from one who was never privy to all the details, that is a predictable, if incorrect, assumption to come to.

K: She was able to recover after that... incident, didn't she?

EDI: Yes. From that time forward, she had changed. And her influence had led to changes among the crew, according to Dr. Chakwas and Psychologist Chambers, had changed people for the better.

K: In what way?

EDI: It is difficult to quantify, however, the end result was that our mission against the Collectors were successful, despite the odds against us. We had rescued the crew when they were kidnapped. The Collectors were destroyed. Avenged the many people who had been liquidated to create another Reaper in the Collector's base and subsequently destroyed it.

K: But it didn't end there, did it?

EDI: No. Immediately after the destruction of the Collector base, the Illusive Man was displeased, as he wanted to secure the technology the Collectors used for himself.

* * *

The Illusive Man's face, instead of the usual passive mask of self-control, had distorted into a visible scowl. "Shepard, I'm disappointed in you."

"You wouldn't be the first and you won't be the last," Nora shot back with her arms folded.

"I invested a significant amount of time and money and even then, you found ways to exceed the cost all the more," he scowled as he took another puff from his cigar.

Aware of what he was talking about, she scowled in retort. "The cost had already been too great. You saw what those machines were doing to those colonists. What real benefit could such technology bring? Don't bother answering, because I'll answer it for you; there isn't. All they did was turn our people into fuel for that... abomination."

"That was not your place to decide, Shepard."

"No, _haole_. It was. You were sitting there on your chair, doing nothing, while I was preventing them from sacrificing more of our people to the Reapers. You gave me command over this mission and I made a command decision," Nora shot back, her confidence never wavering.

"Shepard, your idealism has become rather tiresome. It will never hold up when the time comes to make sacrifices," he droned on before he raised his eyebrows at the sight of Nora pulling out her dagger and pointing the tip of the blade at him.

"You must be hard of hearing, because I seem to be repeating myself; no. Furthermore, it's you who have forgotten what sacrifice means. That's why, when next we meet, I will make you remember."

The Illusive Man took another smoke and waved her threat off, "mere delusional ravings from a madwoman."

"Hide all you want in the shadows, _haole_, I will find you. However, considering the Reapers are on their way, you can either join me or I will crush you, bone by bone," Nora whispered to make her point clear.

"What makes you think you can stop them, Shepard?" he grumbled as she leaned back in his chair, doubtful of her boasts.

"By doing what you're not. I'll let you figure it out what that is," she inclined her head backward, "Joker, we're done here. Cut and erase the channel," she looked back to the Illusive Man and locked a hateful gaze as the connection was severed.

* * *

K: Interesting how she was able to sever her connections to Cerberus. However, surely there must have been some repercussions after that.

EDI: Correct. For a while, we were more or less mercenaries. With what resources we had, Commander Shepard felt it expedient that she attempt to try and help the various races prepare for the Reapers as best she could.

K: And how was that able to come to pass?

EDI: She had discovered special interest groups, aside from Cerberus, that believed the Reapers were coming and started to seed the idea of a more unified galaxy when they came. While she was not the impetus for the galaxy preparing as it was, she did, however, work as a liaison between several groups. Such as the Quarians and the Geth.

K: But Cerberus never joined. Did they?

EDI: No. In fact, during the middle part of the war, Shepard had called in several favors from her allies to hunt down and destroy the head of Cerberus. It was her at her best and at her worst.

K: How so?

EDI: A Cerberus agent by the name of Kai Leng, had murdered a good number of asari scientists and another acquaintance of hers that was with her during the Terminus Campaign; a drell by the name of Thane Krios. Shepard had taken it quite personally. This was made apparent when we had assaulted Chronos Station.

* * *

"EDI, keep trying to recover the data banks," Nora growled as the rest of her squad fought off the ever growing number of Cerberus troops as she pulled out her dagger when she saw Kai Leng appear, "he's mine."

Kai Leng, eager to kill Shepard himself dashed forward, making it clear that Shepard was going to die by his sword and that none of the other troops were to interfere.

Shepard scowled, raised her free hand, and in an instant, gathered more than enough biotic energy to suit her purpose, and before Kai Leng could hold his hand up to block the attack, Nora, instead, punched the floor in front of her, causing him to stumble when a mountain of metal burst from the floor below him.

"Well, that's a damn shame. Even with all those augmentations, you still fail," Nora yelled as she leaped over the metal pile to try and run him through. In response, he rolled out of the way and swept her legs out from under her feet. Before he could press his advantage, Nora had used her biotics again to vault him away with another floorboard.

"What makes you think you can beat me, Shepard?!" he yelled back as he got to his feet, "you haven't done it yet and you never will!"

Instead of taking the bait, Nora cocked an eyebrow as she got to her own feet and her knife brandished. "You have a strange idea as to what consists of winning and losing, Leng. I mean, you're pretty familiar with losing, aren't you?"

"You know nothing about me, Shepard!" he roared in defiance.

This time, Shepard's smile started to grow and a sinister undertone started to appear in her gaze. "Really? The man who failed the Nx Program because he felt he could get away with cheating and so, joined up with Cerberus instead? What's wrong, Leng? Did you really think yourself so damn special that you didn't need to-" she would have continued had she not ducked to avoid several shots from Kai Leng's blaster. Nora dove behind the first metal pile and got her bearings.

"The Alliance used me! I refused to be a scapegoat for them!" he ranted as he leaped over the pile, only to be pushed upward against yet another floorboard.

He did his best to cushion the collision with the ceiling, however, once gravity took hold again, he leaped backward and landed on his feet to see Shepard standing almost casually in front of him. Her smile had grown and she was beginning to chuckle.

"Tell me, Leng," she snickered darkly, "how did it feel when you killed those scientists? Bet you got quite a thrill out of killing aliens that couldn't fight back."

His snarl grew larger as he changed again. He made a wild swing that was caught by the bottom end of Nora's knife and before he could get away, Shepard had shackled her hands over both of his wrists. "Or how about knowing that the best you could do was kill a dying drell?" Shepard hissed with their faces inches away from each other.

The thought of Thane Krios, who had almost killed him during their last encounter, had hesitated before he noticed Nora's foot reaching up to his chest, and shoving him away and his sword clanged on the ground.

"Bet it felt good, didn't it?" Shepard snarled, half-amused, half-enraged. "You felt like one badass mother-fucker, didn't you?!"

His own teeth bared, he raised his hand and shot at her again. However, the attacks bounced helplessly off her Nora's barriers as she continued.

"How sad that it's the best you could ever do. Because that's all you are; just a predatory coward. Preying on weaker than yourself in order to deny your fears."

Kai Leng quickly grabbed his sword and charged again. "I'm not afraid of you, Shepard!" he spat, however, Nora had charged at the same time, bat his sword out of the way with her dagger, grabbed him again and used his momentum against him to flip him on his back, with her looming over him.

"No, Leng. I think you've been afraid all your life. Just waiting for the time when someone finds out just what a sham you are," she said as her biotics flared around her person dangerously.

"You don't know-" he try to defy her when Nora's boot landed on his chest.

"I do, Leng," Shepard snarled, "more than you'll ever know."

"Shepard," EDI interrupted, "I have been able to recover all of the data bank. But I have also discovered the telemetry data you requested."

Nora gave Kai Leng one last scowl before she used the foot that did not pin him down to kick him in the chin. As he rolled on the floor, groaning in agony, she stomped back to the terminal EDI was at.

"Are you sure the information that you've been able to recover is correct?" she asked, peering over the AI's shoulder.

"I am, Shepard. Though, I wonder, the location will have no doubt changed over the many millennia since it was last accessible due to cosmic drift. What makes this particular holding facility so special?"

"It may hold another contingency. Just in case we don't make it," she answered somberly.

EDI paused. At this point in the war, while the allied galactic forces were holding their ground, and in some cases defeating the Reapers, no one was foolish enough to assume they could win as they were. That was the reason for the many back up plans and contingencies.

With both of their backs turned, Kai Leng had recovered enough where he could grab his sword, stand up, and despite his weary stance, charged Shepard from behind with his sword aimed at her heart.

What he did not expect was Nora drawing her left elbow forward, then using the armor that covered it to smash the blade into many pieces. While in mid turn, she had reversed the hold on her dagger, so that it was pointed upward, and thrust it into his rib cage. He gasped as he felt the many blades tearing additional flesh.

She did not stop moving as she yanked the blade out, with gore and blood beginning to spill out of the wound due to the many serrated blades on the dagger itself, before she had him in a grip from behind to silence his screams. Amid his struggling, she had jabbed the blade again, this time into his neck, and hissed into his ear, "This is for Thane, you son of a bitch!"

She then forced the blade out of the side of his neck and pushed him to the ground as a large pool of his blood began to seep onto the floor.

Shepard scowled at the body that twitched a few more times, then fell still. Normally, she would have gotten a sick thrill out of such a kill. However, this time, she felt disgusted. Yes, the murder of Kolyat's father had been avenged, however, an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach had dulled any sort of pleasure she would have gained from this. She then knew why;

It was Torfan all over again.

She looked up to the many corpses of Cerberus troops. Each of them individuals who only wanted the best for humanity, not butchered in front of her because they dared stand in her way. Aware that time was short, she turned to the rest of her squad as they were taking a breather after the fight was done, "We got what we needed people. Move out. There's not going to be much left of this station once we're off."

As quick as they could, extraction went off without a hitch and they were on their way back in the Kodiaks.

As the station began to fall apart and explode, Nora leaned against the wall, worn and tired. EDI was the only other person with her in the shuttle, who seemed to be going over the data they had just retrieved.

She then turned to the AI and whispered heavily. "I'm sorry, EDI."

Perplexed, and not as disturbed at the sight as Nora was, she answered, "What for?"

Shepard shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe it's you seeing this, when I'm getting flashbacks of Torfan. You no doubt heard about that."

EDI nodded. "I have. However, from what I've been able to discern, it was not an event which you really relished."

"No, EDI. That's what a lot of people assume. Yes, I did do it because it was my duty. Yes, I did do it because I was supposed to. However, every time something like this happens, I get a thrill out of it. This is the first time I didn't get some charge out of seeing people I hated die," she recalled the still corpse of Kai Leng they had left behind, now vaporized, "makes me no different than him."

EDI spared a look at Shepard, confusion written on her face. She then looked down in thought for a moment before she answered. "I do not think so, Shepard."

Nora snorted a bit before she asked, "What makes you say that? What makes him and me any different?"

"From what I was able to find in the database, Kai Leng had shown himself to be brutal, merciless, and cruel. While you have shown similar tendencies, your methodology is different. You would always resort to violence last, while he did it first. Any aspects you two share are superficial at best. You have shown mercy, he has not."

It took a moment for Nora to ingest her words before she muttered, "I hope you're right, EDI," a deep breath, "I hope you're right."

* * *

K: So, in your opinion, was the infamous title 'Butcher of Torfan' justified.

EDI: To my understanding, it would be presumptuous to place titles on an individual while they are still alive. Since that is the case, I believe calling her such a title is misleading and incorrect.


	4. Chapter 4

**2181:**

"Khali! Khali! " Emily chirped as she took the seat beside her friend.

Khalisah tried to hold back an amused chuckle as she moved to give Emily space. "Calm down. You'll make a scene."

The Freshman retracted into herself for a moment before she tried, and failed to calm down, nevertheless, eagerly opened her omni-tool to show her friend.

"The scholarship went through! I've got a full ride now!" Emily had been working two part-time jobs in order to pay rent, utilities, food and more, in addition to taking a full load in order to work her way through school.

Khalisah, for her part, had offered Emily the spare bedroom in the apartment she owned, or rather given to her by her father, but Emily had staunchly refused, because she admitted the second that she got comfortable, her momentum would grind to a halt.

With the scholarship, however, the financial strain on Emily could ease off a bit and allow her more study time. Khalisah figured that being as obsessive compulsive as she was, Emily was going to graduate before she was, nevermind the fact that she was a year ahead of Emily.

"That's good to hear," Khalisah said as she looked through the text of the award Emily got, "so, want to celebrate?"

"And how!" Emily said with a large smile as she turned off the omni-tool on her wrist, "want to go on a weekend bender, go to the Citadel and see how many aliens we can inadvertently insult?"

"And get comfy with some of the less scrupulous aliens in the Citadel Jail? No," Khalisah muttered, half-serious, half-jokingly.

"Pfft. You're no fun at all," Emily stuck out her tongue in mock disappointment.

"Hey," Khalisah shot back, genuinely indignant, "I'm plenty of fun. I just want to make sure I don't mess up my record before I have a chance to make one."

Emily waved her concerns off. "Oh, come on. You're one of the more risk-averse people I know. The only one more insecure than you is my little brother and I had to fight to get him to play ball with me when we were kids!"

"Ok, seriously, what do you want to do to celebrate?" Khalisah asked again, unsure whether to be flattered or not.

"You make some of that delicious Kibby(-Bel-Saneeya)* and Muhammara! I loved those!" Emily peeped happily with a large smile.

"You sure? You almost passed out when you tried the curry recipe I got from my uncle," Khalisah warned, recalling how much Emily had almost panicked and thought she was going to die after eating an indian dish that insisted you put multiple Ghost Peppers in.

"Only because you were too scared to try my Gan Guo. Wuss," Emily challenged with a smirk.

"_Bous Tize_, Wong," Khalisah grumbled in her native arabic she had not spoken in years since she left the Saudi Republic, not amused.

"_Ching-wah Tsao duh liou mahng, _al-Jilani," Emily shot back, her smile growing larger, challenging Khalisah to get as dirty as she did.

The sophomore leveled her eyes, making it evident she was not going to take the bait.

* * *

Khalisah poured over her screen as her fingers hopped over the keys frantically to finish the report she had to finish. The turians in question had been thankfully cooperative when it came to explaining the perspective from the Hierarchy when the First Contact War happened. She allowed herself a small smirk when she started asking the question most turians did not like hearing whenever it came to accusations of the Hierarchy trying to strong arm newer races when they emerged in Council space. Apparently, the Volus were not the only vassal state Palaven had working for them. A few other races 'owed' their prosperity to the turians and they would consistently ensure that these lesser known species were swept under the rug as much as possible.

Her normally perfect and well-kept hair was messy and pulled back in a bob as she struggled to find the right words to make sure that her teachers would be impressed. Her own grades had been on a larger downturn than she would have liked and frankly, she wasn't happy that they had slipped as far as they had. Not to mention the hell her father would have given her if he found out she was getting a C in Extraterrestrial Comm II. So, sacrifices had to be made.

Her omni tool flared to life with the sounds of an obnoxious duck quacking, letting her know that someone wanted to speak with her. She quickly put it on and answered the call to find out that Emily was on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Khali, finally! You know how long it's been since we've talked?" The younger of the two asks, exasperated.

Khalisah sighed openly, "two days?"

"Two long, painful, and harrowing days without my best friend that-"

"What'd you do this time?" Kalisah interrupted, aware that whenever Emily went into a hyperbolic tirade, it meant she had gotten herself into trouble. Again.

A nervous laugh confirmed her suspicions. "Turns out that calling asari 'women' can get under the skin of a few matriarchs. You know proper customs from Thessia concerning giving offense, right? Can you please talk to them? Please?"

Khalisah grumbled, then growled to let Emily know that while it made her unhappy, she would comply. Emily had helped her more than the opposite and at the present time, she owed Emily two favors. Oh, to have that occasion where Emily owed her five. Glorious and delicious meals, personal massages, and more. Too bad she wasted them over the previous holiday. Oh well.

"Give me their number," she grumbled, resigned to her fate.

An excited squeal emerged from her omni tool. "Thank you! Thank you! A million times, thank you!"

"Don't thank me yet," Khalisah warned, "asari, especially matriarchs, can be extremely passive aggressive when it comes to accepting apologies. And *I* am going to be the one that has to speak to them."

* * *

Khalisah, showered and in clean clothes, sighed as she entered the entryway to the pavilion where the liaison of the offended party waited for her.

The asari waiting for her seemed to understand her frustration more than she as she stood up and extended a hand in greeting to acknowledge human customs. She took the asari's hand and shook it confidently, but made sure not to hold the hand too long, nor shake too vigorously. To greet in asari customs meant you were in control of yourself and your passions so as not to waste them frivolously.

"Varicia S'Tonu. May the Goddess grant Health and Pleasure unto you," the asari said cordially, and a surprisingly genuine tone with a slight curtsey.

"Khalisah bint sinan al-Jilani. The blessings of Allah be on you," she replied in kind, remembering the many prayers she, her father, and brother when she was younger. It had been a while since she had been to prayers, she noted slightly ruefully since it had been years since she was home.

"We'll, it's about damn time," growled a new voice from the other side of the pavilion. Both Khalisah and the other asari turned to see the matriarch in question, with an evident frown on her face, stomp towards them.

"Madam Polotheas, please," Varicia said, clearly tired, "can we get through this without leaving another corpse to bury and even more apologies to send out?"

Khalisah stopped. Corpses?

"That damn Krogan had it coming. You think I was going to let him get away with- ugh. Never mind, let's get this over with." The older asari turned to her and said, "kid, your friend meant well, but damn, you humans need to get some better editions of asari translations. You've only been on the galactic scene for a few decades and already you're stomping around, thinking that you already own the joint."

She then walked up to Khalisah, got in her face and muttered, "the next time one of you hairy apes start using your damn binary labels on me is going to be the last time you use your voice, because I am going to open your throat and-"

"Madam Polotheas!" Varicia nearly screamed.

The matriarch turned to Varicia and frowned angrily, who frowned in turn and admonished with a frown of her own that said 'do it!'.

The older asari huffed, put her hands on her hips, and then snarled, "Aethyta Polotheas, health, pleasure, and all that shit."

Khalisah kept her cool, then nodded cordially. Most asari she had met held customs and cordiality to the same standard that turians valued the military training they all went through. This one seemed to completely throw those ideas out of the window. In fact, she seemed more krogan than asari and she didn't think that was possible. Or if it even worked that way.

"Well, I was told that my friend, Emily Wong, gave unto you offense. I, Khalisah al-Jilani, wish to extend apologies on her behalf and-"

"Yeah, yeah, Goddess loves and forgives, that's not what I'm pissed about," Aethyta waved off of her apology angrily and continued, "we asari have particular words for the one that knocks up the parent and the parent that pops the kid out! Learn 'em! Better yet, tell your stupid friend to learn 'em! Because I'm sick and tired of every new species looking at us as though they can apply their damn terms about us!" she folded her arms, "Anthropocentric bag of dicks."

Varicia sighed and held her hand to her face, aware that events like this would always go bad and simply go downhill from there.

While scared out of her wits, Khalisah would not stand idly by and allow her friend to be so blatantly insulted to her face, "Now hold on! She was not trying to insult you. If what she told me was true, she just wanted to ask a few questions about asari in general."

"Well, tell the little bitch to learn some damn tact! Not everyone's going to be as forgiving as me," Aethyta shot back, the aggressions getting more evident. "Just remember that the asari were building the council when you little shits were flinging your turds around everywhere."

Fed up with the matriarch's sass, Khalisah frowned and said, "what have you done since then?"

Varicia gasped and Aethyta's eyes went wide at the audaciousness of her words.

'I'm dead. Oh well, it was a good ride,' Khalisah thought as she tried to hold her shaking in check. To her surprise, Aethyta drew her head back and before Khalisah could react, the asari struck her head against her own and everything went dark.

* * *

The world slowly came back into focus as the massive bump on her forehead seemed to throb relentlessly. Above her, she saw the smiling face of Varicia. She seemed proud for some reason.

"I think Madam Polotheas likes you. Most people just slink away. You actually had the courage to stand up to her. Not many do that. Well, that and she only seems to headbutt those who actually impress her," she said as a matter of factly.

Khalisah reached up to her head and felt the cold pack on her head to deal with the bruise.

She leaned up and found herself laying on the bench of the pavilion they were at and wondered how much time had passed. She looked to the clock and saw that two hours had passed. She groaned and held both of her hands to her face. She should have had her paper done by now and getting headbutt by an asari matriarch would, of course, throw that out of order.

She then heard Varcia's voice ask almost timidly, "if you have the time, would you like to have a meal together? I mean, that's how humans usually get a chance to introduce themselves, right?"

Khalisah blinked and looked to the asari, who almost looked... smitten with her? Varicia's smile then vanished as though she realized she made a serious mistake. "I mean, if you're not busy."

This caused Khalisah to blink once. She had spent so much time in her classes that the idea of going out seemed foreign to her. Well, save for the jaunts of shenanigans with Emily, she was pretty reserved as far as she was concerned.

She wasn't really attracted to asari. Or attracted to anyone, really. It was a source of consternation when her father would, at times, wonder if she was seeing anyone to eventually give him grandchildren to spoil. It was never malicious and he knew when to back off, which was how they still talked, but she digressed.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to take Varicia up on her offer.

* * *

**Present Day:**

"Please, come in," the voice from the other side of the door said, which gave them the chance to step inside the small and simple office of one of Shepard's former squadmates that was now on Bekenstein.

Khalisah and Varicia noticed the petite redhead behind the desk who looked up to them with a smile. There were pictures of her psychology degree on the walls, along with several pictures of her with her family, and friends.

"Please, have a seat," she said warmly. "I'm Kelly Chambers, pleased to meet you."

"Khalisah al-Jilani," she answered, attempting to fend, unsuccessfully, the kindness that seemed to radiate from the young woman.

"Varicia S'Tonu," she said as she reached over the desk and took Kelly's hand in her own.

"So, the gist of your message was that you wanted to talk to people about Nora Shepard. Well, I've been her psychologist for a while and can offer some insight, within reason," she said with tilt of her head.

"I would take a guess and say that the 'within reason' is concerning personal details that you can't divulge," Khalisah assumed.

"Of course."

"I understand. And thank you," Khalisah said as she turned her drone on.

* * *

K: Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, Ms. Chambers.

**Kelly Chambers; Psychologist**:

You're most welcome.

K: So, from what you can tell me, how was her profile when you first met her?

Ke: She was moody, withdrawn, and hostile. It was rather difficult to get her to open up.

K: Was there a turning point?

Ke: Yes, there was. However, there are details that would put that in the 'personal information territory' that I cannot divulge.

K: I see. What can you divulge?

Ke: Shepard was, at the time, isolated from her friends and squadmates. She needed a friend, she needed a confidant. She didn't trust me at all initially.

* * *

"Good Morning, Commander," Kelly said as Shepard exited the elevator and went to her console. However, the taller woman said nothing, checked her messages, and as if Kelly had said nothing, she returned to the elevator and closed the doors.

Kelly let loose a deep sigh. It had been a whole month and a half since Shepard had come on board and she was not able to get a word in edgewise.

It had become routine at this point. Kelly would attempt to speak with Nora Shepard, and Nora Shepard would say nothing in return and go about her business as if Kelly was never there.

She was able to get a chance to speak with the Quarian Shepard recruited that was not on the dossiers, Kenn'Reegar nar Tombay. He was very polite and got along quite well with Jacob Taylor.

As she typed in the current report, she spoke aloud, "EDI, can you tell me where the Commander is?"

The holographic image of the ship's AI appeared at her side. "Commander Shepard is currently in the mess hall, speaking with Sargeant Gardner."

"Gardner? " she asked for a moment before she held her fist to her chin in thought. Well, as sparse as her file was about Shepard's likes and dislikes, there was one thing she knew she could at least show that she wasn't a threat. She then quickly typed in a request to some of the agents she had come into contact with in Sol. If she was right, perhaps Shepard would realize she was not a threat and that she wanted to help her.

* * *

Another week had passed. When she had gotten her package, Kelly smiled broadly then quickly hurried to the mess hall. She needed to time this just right. With Gardner's permission, she was able to prepare her parcel and take it up to Shepard's cabin.

She pressed the button to announce her presence at the door. A moment later, Shepard appeared, slightly ragged, tired, and just as irritable as before. The assault on the Eclipse had not gone well. The instant she noticed Kelly, her eyes narrowed and her frown grew.

"Chambers," she rumbled darkly.

"Commander, I know you've had a hard time thus far and I'd like to let you know that no matter what happens, we're behind you. So, here," she then extended a thermos, specifically cooled with a concoction that Kelly hoped Shepard would enjoy. "I was able to get some fresh fruits from our last stop and mix them into this Hawaiian Lemonade. It's not much, I admit, but I hope it'll at least help you relax a bit. It's still chilled and ready for whenever you feel like it."

Nora paused at the innocuous gift that seemed to come out of nowhere. Regardless, she reached forward tentatively, took the thermous, and took a step back. Though the anger and mistrust still smouldered hot, she did however, lower her head a bit and whisper, "thank you."

The door slowly closed.

Kelly let loose a deep breath of relief and smiled to herself. She felt she was one step closer to gaining Shepard's trust. If she was lucky, maybe Shepard'd actually speak with her next time.

* * *

K: So, I was told that you helped Shepard overcome some psychological problems she had developed. Can you go into detail about that?

Ke: Of course. Some patients who die and come back to life have a hard time believing they're still the same person. Shepard believed she was some sort of Frankenstein monster because of all the resources Cerberus put into bringing her back. It also made the slight feelings of persecution worse as she went on.

K: She was able to overcome that, didn't she?

Ke: *smiles* She did. That explains how we're all still here. I just needed to give her a clean bill of mental health, though, she's been kind of busy at the moment, so, it can wait. And... if she ever reads this, I'm glad I met her. I got a chance to get to know her and become her friend. And she became my best friend. She saved my life.

K: How so?

Ke: *pauses* During the Terminus Campaign, the Collectors had attacked our ship while Shepard was away. They kidnapped all of us and wanted to liquefy us into fuel for more Reapers. She saved me. She saved the whole Normandy crew. That sort of thing never happens in real life, but she beat the odds. She beat the Collectors and the Reapers. *smiles and sniffs* We'll never be able to thank her properly.

K: Thank you for your time, Ms. Chambers.

(Author's note: As of publication, Ms. Chambers is in hiding after an attempt was made on her life. Her current whereabouts are unknown.)

* * *

Both Khalisah and Varicia looked to each other as the doors to the Council's office on Bekenstein remained closed. Their request to meet with one of the Councilor's regarding Nora Shepard had been met with confusion, however, it was not long before Councilor Tevos, and only she, would meet with them.

"Think they remembered?" Varicia asked quietly as she took a step towards Khalisah and took her hand gently.

She gave Varicia an encouraging squeeze of her hand before she replied, "I hope so. They probably got a lot of things to worry about, though, so, I'm hoping we'll be able to get a few questions in before they have to return to getting the galactic political infrastructure up and running again."

As if in answer to her hopes, the door opened and a different asari, with noticeably dark purple markings along her face and fringe.

"You're al-Jilani?" she said bluntly.

"I am," Khalisah answered carefully.

The asari then activated her omni-tool and slowly moved it in front of them both, evidently scanning them. She adjusted the omni-tool and did a secondary scan of them both before she reached up to the comm in her ear and said, "they're clean. Want me to let them in?" A pause. "Alright." She then looked back to them and said with an incline of her head backward, "come in, but watch yourself."

Varicia gave a small and apprehensive whimper before she followed Khalisah into the building. Surely enough, down a well-lit hallway, they were led by their host into a larger emporium where politicians and negotiators were heatedly speaking to one another for whatever reason.

Through the crowd, they were led and eventually, at the back, segregated by sound barriers, they noticed Councilor Tevos, reading over a data pad, before she saw her visitors.

"Madam, here they are," their guide said.

"Thank you, Tela," the Councilor said with a nod. She then gestured to the seats in front of her modest desk, which they both took.

"Thank you so much for taking the time to see us, Madam Councilor," Khalisah said as sincerely as she could, making sure she kept her usual snide tones she saved for politicians smothered.

"Considering there is no more Westerlund News for you to represent, it made me curious as to why you wished to speak to me," the Councilor said as she leaned back in her chair.

Khalisah turned to Varicia momentarily with a look that spoke, 'here goes nothing', and then asked cordially, "as a way of honoring a friend of mine who did not survive the Reaper War, I am attempting to complete a biography of Commander Shepard she started."

Tevos nodded and asked, "I can understand that. However, what brings you to see me?"

"Well, from what I was able to find, you were the one whom she often spoke to and as her superior in the Spectre Agency. And as such, if you have any insight that you can share, you know, that you *can* share, it'd be greatly appreciated."

The Councilor nodded. "I'd be honored to do so."

* * *

**Councilor Tevos P'Dova**:

K: What exactly made Shepard stand out among the other Spectres, other than the fact that she was the first human?

T: Well, she was not the first human I had worked with. She was, however, the first to serve in a capacity that enabled regular interactions. Not long into her hunt for the rogue Spectre, Saren, she exhibited a few interesting traits that caught my attention.

* * *

Tevos, with her fellow councilors at her sides, watched the image of Shepard, along with her XO, recounting the results of the mission they had completed.

Part of the Councilor felt sorry for Shepard. She was supposed to be under the wing of Nihilus, not being shackled as a poster-girl for the Alliance to recruit more of their people into the military so she could use the Normandy. She was no stranger to such politics from newer species that wanted to showcase its ability to hold their own. It was rather unfortunate, because she did feel the young human held the sort of promise that got her recommended for the Spectres long before the Alliance even put forth her name.

She had been given the basic information dossier concerning the Agency and had brief meetings with a few other Spectres during her mission, however, it was hard not to think that the poor child seemed so lost. Here she was, blindly searching for a rogue Spectre, with decades of experience no less, with only bread crumbs of information to go on.

Then, there was this whole ordeal about the Reapers she initially went on about. Thankfully, she quickly learned that until she had solid evidence to coincide with her vision from the Beacon, she was reluctant to say anything on the matter, however, Tevos could tell she wanted to speak more about it.

"Thank you for your report, Spectre. We shall reconvene when we receive your next report," Velarn concluded with a nod.

The image of Commander Shepard remained when she should have cut the channel. Tevos was about to leave when she noticed Shepard had a look in her eyes that held a question behind them.

"Is there something wrong, Spectre?"

As though Shepard were almost a child scared to ask a thing of her parents, she took a breath and answered, "Madam Councilor, I have a question that I wish to ask you privately about."

Velarn, Sparatus, and Shepard's XO looked to both Councilor and Spectre. Shepard turned to her XO, muttered a few things and the older human man took his leave. Tevos turned to her fellow Councilors, nodded, assuring them this would not take long, and watched them depart.

"What is it you wished to speak to me about, Shepard?" Tevos asked with her arms behind her back.

"Well, as you know, not too long ago, we rescued Dr. Liara T'Soni from Therum and while I thank you for granting my request to allow her to accompany me on my mission, I want to gain her trust," Shepard then swallowed, "however, I don't think I know enough about asari culture to be able to do that. The only other asari I know isn't exactly the type that conforms to mainstream asari culture."

Tevos smiled. "Madam N'Kona. Yes. She has a reputation among the more conservative circles of asari politics. I can understand why you would hesitate to ask her."

"So," Shepard continued, "I know you're busy with being the Council and everything, however, if it's not too much to ask, could you direct me to a primer on asari culture so I won't accidentally insult her when I don't mean to?"

The request wasn't out of line. However, Tevos felt it a bit strange. "Surely you already have access to such information."

Nora nodded once, yet pressed, "I know. However, I don't think that the materials I have on hand would suffice. I want to make sure I'm doing it right. And since you seem to be the representative of asari in the galaxy, I'd rather hear it from you."

Tevos saw it. Shepard wanted to trust her. Whether Nora Shepard was an excellent actor, or she was genuinely opening up to her, it warmed a part of Tevos' heart to see such humility from someone so young, relatively speaking. It also gave her an epiphany.

"Does Dr. T'Soni please you, Shepard?" Tevos asked as though it were nothing.

Nora blinked at the question. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

The Councilor showed a bit of amusement as she continued. "That is one aspect of asari culture. You realize that our kind, being monogendered, have fewer scruples than you do about physical intimacy. I am aware of the various trends and degrees of your kind, however, if you wish to earn Dr. T'Soni's trust, you must understand that subjects you may consider spoken only in good company or private, can be spoken to out in the open with us."

As comprehension shined on her features, Nora replied, "Dr. T'Soni did say that asari were a bit more liberal with their sexuality. But I wasn't aware as to how much."

Tevos nodded. "You will learn in time. It will be important if you wish to serve the galactic community the way you do. Eventually, you will learn how to do the same with the other galactic cultures as well. However, for now, I'll have one of my aides prepare you a basic primer that I will look over to ensure that you understand what you need to do in order to gain Maiden T'Soni's trust."

A pleased look crossed Nora's features. It was difficult for Tevos not to compare her to a child who was eager to learn about things she wished to understand.

Shepard straightened her back and stated gratefully," Thank you, Madam Councilor."

"We shall discuss your progress at a later date. Until then, be safe, Spectre."

Nora acknowledged her statement and the image vanished.

* * *

K: Wait, wait! Were Commander Shepard and Liara T'Soni really an item? I kept hearing rumors about them, but there was never any substance to them.

T: That is something you will have to ask her yourself. Commander Shepard was quite discreet when it came to her private life. In all honesty, I cannot blame her; considering how much the news corporations hounded her.

K: ...

* * *

"Everyone in the 5th Fleet is a hero. The Alliance owes them all medals. The Council owes them more than that," Nora said with a restrained growl in her throat as she leaned over to get in Khalisah's face, "and so do you."

The reporter's eye twitched in annoyance. She hated being bull rushed on her own show. It was no different than the first time. Shepard had outmaneuvered her again and it was a heavy blow to her pride as a reporter. However, she got the news. And as far as Westerlund was concerned, that was it as her camera drone cut the feed.

She threw Shepard an angry glare and muttered, "tight assed bitch."

Khalisah did not see Nora twirl around and, with an angry snarl on the Spectre's face, struck the reporter with a balled fist faster than she could see coming. The blow dug into her cheek, and she think she felt a tooth or two fly out of her mouth as her jaw was dislocated, and caused her to twirl once in the air before falling flat on her face.

"Next time you want to do an interview, try and do with it a bit of tact, Jilani!" Shepard snarled, then stomped away.

* * *

K: Yes. Considering a lot of human interest groups were hounding her nonstop it was understandable if she ever got... defensive. Anyway, continue, please.

T: Probably the most important thing that I respect and am grateful for, was how she decided to take a view that some asari would take; the Long View.

K: When did this come up?

T: Immediately after the Allied Fleets had destroyed Sovereign. Shepard had sacrificed an entire Alliance fleet in order to save the Destiny Ascension.

* * *

Tevos could tell Shepard felt uncomfortable as herself, Velarn, and Sparatus attempted to thank the person who had made the decision to pull the Alliance Fleet in time that had saved the Council. Sparatus spoke of sacrifice. Velarn spoke of the cost. And Tevos herself was about to speak about how their actions would not be forgotten, Nora raised her hands as if to request to speak.

"Councilors. I appreciate the fact that you are grateful for your lives. However, I would like for you to understand something. Despite my repeated attempted at warning you of the Reaper Threat, with proof, you chose to ignore my warnings and that was how Sovereign was able to get as close as he did to succeeding. More of the lives of our people could have been spared had it been taken seriously."

Surprised, Tevos objected, "but the Reaper ship is destroyed. Surely that has to be the end of it."

Nora shook her head. "No, Councilor. There's more out there. The Reapers didn't wipe out the Protheans with just one ship. I don't know how many of them are out there, waiting for the time to attack, however, I do know this; all we did was slow them down. If they were able to continue doing this for who knows how many millions of years, then we have a dark road ahead of us. I did not sacrifice the Fifth just to save your lives, Councilors. I did it for the ten thousand on board the Destiny Ascension. For the mothers, sisters, and daughters of everyone on board. They deserved better than this."

None of the Councilors could say anything as Nora Shepard gave them a curt salute, "Pardon me, Councilors."

* * *

K: Wow. It's a miracle that she was still a Spectre after that. I know I'd get fired if I spoke out like that.

T: Bear in mind, I could understand how she felt. We allowed it because she had earned it. However, it was not long after that event of the Commander's passing did we start to realize how much we had erred.

* * *

"What became of the science team that we sent to examine the wreckage of the craft?" Matriach Persea said with evident impatience. This had been the third time Tevos had come to her, as the representative of High Command, requesting that greater information be gathered in regards to the remains of Sovereign.

"It was not long after they began their research did they discover an unsettling element of the wreckage. The material, which we've determined is far older than our own civilization, emits a subharmonic frequency that matches the traits of the 'Indoctrination' that one of my Spectres made repeated notes about in her reports," Tevos answered, "as a result, we found it expedient to limit any and all exposure by personnel to the wreckage and have resorted to using robot drones from what is hopefully a safe distance in our research facilities."

"Hmm," Persea said with thinned lips. She had neither the patience nor the inclination to believe the stories of the Reapers, even after all the reports she had submitted.

"The reports of the science team has led me to believe that the Reaper threat that my Spectre has informed me about requires far more preparation than what we are currently doing at the present time. Going over the combat footage, the logistical officers that were on the Destiny Ascension have given me their observations that it took almost two fleets worth of ships in order to destroy one. If the reports are to be believed and this is but a precursor to a galaxy wide invasion, it is my opinion that we begin to prepare Thessia and all her child colonies for possible-"

"That will not be necessary," Matriarch Persea said as her image placed the data pad down, "with the general galactic economy being as it is, not to mention that there is no evidence of a forthcoming invasion, we will continue to go about as if the threat is no more. If the other council race leaders wish to share their observations with us, then we shall give it consideration, however, we will not be the impetus for a galaxy wide panic for something that may never occur."

"But Matriarch, for all the evidence we've been given, there is a greater likelihood of there being more waiting for the signal to attack. At the very least, could we being to institute protocols and procedures that should an invasion happen-"

"And I repeat to you, Councilor, there is no invasion happening and there won't be," Persea's frown grew deeper the more Tevos attempted to protest, "and I would suggest you cease wasting our time with," her face scrunched up in disgust, "crying wolf, or however that human saying goes, or else such disrespect towards High Command would certainly come with a price higher than you are capable of paying, 'Councilor'."

Tevos kept her fear in check and slowly nodded. "I meant no disrespect, nor offense, Matriarch."

"Good. It would certainly be unfortunate for the Council to lose such a notable member who had done so much for the galaxy," Persea noted with little subtlety as to what would happen, should Tevos continue to appeal for more readiness for a possible invasion.

With that, the image vanished and Tevos let out a despondent breath.

It had been no better with her colleagues. Their own respective governments had given them, unsurprisingly; similar if not the same reasons as the ones High Command had given her. Each of them had secrets to keep and they would remain that way, in spite of the working relationship they had with each other.

* * *

K: So, the heads of government knew the whole time and didn't do anything.

T: Not entirely correct. However, there was one thing that the heads of government were right about; it would have caused a panic that we could not afford to have and would have worked in the Reapers' favor. So, we had to work in a few more subtle ways for us to prepare that would have allowed the galaxy to prepare for the invasion. We were able to reverse engineer the primary weapons the Reapers used against them. It had taken a lot of convincing on our part, but it would have ended up a lot worse had we not.

K: Did Shepard ever hear about this?

T: *shakes head* Sadly, no. While she was, for all intents and purposes, correct, going around like a Mad Prophet did her no favors. Can you imagine being in the position of someone who did not see what she did?

K: Probably not the best of ideas at the time.

T: Correct. However, after all she had done for it us, it was difficult to, in essence, repeat the position of our superiors when we were there and had seen what we have. But, perhaps the most difficult of the whole ordeal was after Shepard had returned.

* * *

Tevos and her fellow councilors could tell Nora Shepard wanted to lash out. The scars on her face, the weariness in her gaze. It was all too telling. However, to the relief of everyone in attendance, which included Anderson and Udina, she stepped forward and spoke calmly, "I accept the reinstatement. I thank the Council for their assistance."

Tevos then answered, "Goddess be with you on your investigation, Shepard. And may your relationship to Cerberus end just as swiftly. "

She nodded as the image of Shepard vanished.

Velarn could not help but shake his head. "Unfortunate. If what her reports were true, she's not had an easy time of it."

"I still find it rather hard to believe that Cerberus was able to bring her back from the dead," Sparatus intoned as he took a seat at his desk.

"I agree, but at the same time, all the information we have on Cerberus points to the idea that they are extremely well funded and connected. I wonder just how much clout they have within the Alliance itself in order to protect 'human interests'," the salarian noted from his own console.

Tevos remained silent with her hands behind her back, still staring at the place where Nora, who Tevos could describe as a child who needed help and a guide and seemed so lost and abandoned. Tevos never lamented the fact that she had no children of her own, however, in a strange way, Shepard's simple earnestness and passion evoked the feelings of a concerned parent who did not wish to see their child go astray. While she did feel a certain sense of responsibility towards the Spectres, since it was through her and Chairwoman Iressa of the Oversight Committee that the Spectres acted, it never went this far.

"Do we have any information about the Collectors?" Tevos asked as she finally left her position and took her own seat.

Velarn shook his head. "Afraid not. Any information we have is often in the form of second hand accounts and unreliable witnesses. The fact that Shepard forwarded this footage of them abducting humans leaves me troubled."

Sparatus raised an eyebrow. "That she even sent the information to us in the first place? Considering she was ready to explode back there, it seems inconsistent."

"No, I mean, the fact that for the first time in decades or even centuries, we have actual proof that the Collectors exist. Not to mention the footage that the other Alliance Spectre candidate was able to bring in more proof from Horizon. The rest of the Union's Intelligence Committee, along with the STG and the Dalatress, are finding it more and more difficult to deny that there is something afoot, however, the fact that they're targeting humans doesn't make it a priority."

"For now anyways," Tevos noted dourly.

"Do you really think the Collectors are part of this Reaper plot?" Sparatus said with his arms crossed.

"Whether they are not, then I certainly hope Shepard takes care of them soon. If there is an invasion that's going to happen, I rather she be here at least making an effort to cause a stir to get our peoples ready. High Command certainly doesn't seem inclined to make the preparations," the asari noted as she stared at the many reports she began to read through.

"Let us hope," Velarn said as he went back to his own console and began to type another appeal, making notes to add the physical evidence that all three of them would share and send to their respective heads of state to let them know that this was a development that required the attention of more than just one Spectre in the Terminus.

* * *

K: So, do you believe that there is one single source of blame for all that the galaxy's lost?

T: Not at all. Bear in mind, the Reapers were expert in hiding their presence to ensure that they would not be expected every cycle. What few indications of their presence, if there were any, would not identify them in any way, shape, or form until it was too late. We were fortunate that we had enough forewarning that gave us a sense of preparation. We could have had it a lot worse.

K: Did you ever get a chance to speak to Shepard about that before the invasion?

T: Yes. It was not long after she had severed ties with Cerberus.

* * *

Tevos had gotten the signal. It was from the same frequency that only Spectres knew. She walked over to the console where she would often speak with her Spectres and to her surprise, it was Shepard. A bit battered and worse for wear, however, the smile on her face spoke of good tidings.

Immediately, the news of her information agencies from her own branch and from that of the other Councilors had confirmed that Shepard had not only entered the notorious Omega 4 relay, but had come out from it as well.

"Councilor, I apologize for not reporting in sooner, but I wanted to make sure and any possible bugs and listening devices were scrubbed from the Normandy," she said with a proud smile on her face.

Tevos nodded and kept her demeanor professional. "What have you to report, Shepard?"

Nora nodded eagerly. "Well, the Collectors had been defeated. I was able to obtain as much as I could about their origins, their technology, and so on. I'll be sending you all my findings the next time I reach an Agency port, so they can reach you. More importantly, I've cut all ties with Cerberus. Since it seemed their desire for 'human interests' only seemed to go so far when it was in tandem with Cerberus' interests."

Tevos nodded, but held back a sigh of relief. She truly believed Shepard was as good as her word and her desire to be, and to hear her throwing in her lot with Cerberus was troubling to say the least.

"That is good to hear. I will be expecting your reports and your findings," she said with a nod.

"Councilor," Nora's exuberance suddenly deflated as she began to ask tentatively, "I want to apologize for my behavior the last time we spoke."

"From what I recall, you conducted yourself professionally. I see no reason for you to apologize."

"No, no. It's not that," she said, "I was angry with you, with everyone, and angry at the whole galaxy. Because, I don't know, but I just felt angry and recent events have not done me any favors."

The asari councilor could see the desire for approval in her eyes. So, she decided to see if Shepard was whom she believed she was.

"May I ask you a question, Shepard?"

"Of course, Councilor."

"Do you ever regret sacrificing the lives of the men and women in the Fifth fleet to save us and the Destiny Ascension, even after all that has transpired since your death and return?"

Shepard was shocked and taken back. For a moment her voice was lost, when it seemed Shepard was clearly torn as she looked this way and that in an almost desperate search for answers. She couldn't blame Shepard, really. Her race had been marginalized in many cases, their colonies would often left to their own devices and open to raids, and after all this, humanity still had much to prove. However, Tevos had to know for sure.

Nora took another deep breath and then calmly, "no, Madam Councilor. Yes, sacrificing the Destiny Ascension could have saved many Alliance lives and, for all I know, given humanity better standing in the galactic community. However, doing that would not have earned us any friends. And that's what we need." She let out chuckle, "the funny thing, the man who runs Cerberus thinks that sacrificing others for some vague goal knows what it means. He doesn't and I doubt he ever will."

Tevos began to smile. That same humility and eagerness she had seen not too long ago had returned. This was the Nora Shepard they had chosen to become a Spectre.

"Well said, Shepard," she said as a small feeling of pride began to well in her chest, "so, now that you have effectively cut ties from Cerberus, what do you intend to do now?"

Nora took a deep breath as though the weight of the previous subject had taken a lot out of her, then answered, "well, if you don't mind giving me a bit more autonomy at the moment, I'd like to try and do something that's been bothering me for a while."

"And what is that?"

"I want to help stop the hostilities between the Quarians and the Geth," she said confidently.

The news surprised Tevos as she raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's a wise course of action to take? That is an issue the quarians need to handle themselves."

The human nodded. "I know, however, I feel reinstituting the quarians back into galactic society would do us all good. And I would wager a guess that they're tired of living in space for as long as they have. Plus, I'm trying to keep my presence in the matter as minimal as possible."

"And how would you get the Geth to speak to anyone, let alone the Quarians?"

"You'd be surprised whom I met during the Campaign here in the Terminus," she said with a wry smile.

Unsure she wanted to hear the answer to that, she held up her hand and said, "I'll take your word for it and assume that you have found a means for them to talk and leave it at that. You may leave the minutia in your report."

Shepard nodded. "Yes, Madam Councilor."

"One last thing," Tevos interrupted before she cut the line. "Is this, by any chance, part of your claims about the Reapers?"

Nora paused for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, Madam Councilor."

"I assumed as much," Tevos muttered, hiding the fact that she was secretly proud of the human who held to her convictions.

"I know you don't believe me, Councilor," Nora said, but this time without any anger behind it, "however, I-"

Tevos held up a hand again to silence Shepard's protestations. "Do what you need to do. Then, report back to the Citadel as soon as possible. You have much to catch up on."

Aware that the Councilor was granting her request and showing some trust in her judgment, she saluted gratefully and cut the feed.

Tevos sincerely hoped that she had made the right decision. While it was not the first time she had allowed Spectres to go out on their own, she at times had misgivings, considering the nature of things that tended to explode around the human.

* * *

K: I assume being able to see the genesis of the Perseus Trust didn't happen because of what occurred at Aratoht.

T: *nods* What a mess. We were able to obtain the report from Admiral Hackett and we all came to the conclusion that Shepard was there at the right time and place, but with the worst possible outcome. The Hagemony was screaming for blood and there was nothing we could do to help her.

K: Was there any communication between the Council and the Alliance during her incarceration.

T: *a pause* Yes. There was.

* * *

Tevos kept her calm, however, she was becoming more and more annoyed at Udina's repeated deflections whenever they wished to speak with Shepard. While it was true she was an N7 Marine in the Alliance Navy, she was also a Spectre, which meant that the Council had the necessity, and right, to speak with someone who was ostensibly one of their own.

While it was true they could use some of their political clout to get the Alliance Parliament to allow them to speak, the political implications and repercussions would reflect poorly on the Council and be seen as weakness. And that was the last thing they needed.

"Councilor Tevos," Udina said cordially as he entered Tevos' office.

"Representative Udina," she said without looking up at him. She was currently busy at the moment with the acclimation of the Raloi delegation and getting them to fit into the Citadel was becoming a bit difficult. The last thing she needed to hear was Udina giving himself yet another excuse why they would not be able to speak with Shepard. While it wasn't the greatest of priorities, they wanted to hear what had happened from Nora herself, not from some report.

"Is there a reason why you've come to my office, Representative?" Tevos said as she slowly placed another requisition form for Raloi transport frigates from their homeworld.

"Yes. I wanted to inform you that the Alliance Parliament has given permission for me to speak with Shepard," he said, clearly unhappy with the development.

Tevos looked up from her desk in surprise. "What?"

"Apparently, the Senators of the Defense Committee felt it was necessary for their representative to speak with her to ensure that she has not, in fact, gone crazy," he continued. She felt disgusted over the fact that even though Shepard had nominated Udina, given his skill in the political arena, he couldn't be bothered to return the favor.

Tevos had seen such circumstances more than she would have liked to admit. While it was true Shepard and Udina didn't see eye to eye, they did, however, both understand that they needed to navigate the political waters of the galaxy with extreme caution.

"I made it a fair point that as a Spectre, she needed to be allowed to inform the Council personally, however, they continued to argue that this was an internal matter and therefore, the Council has no part of it. So, they will allow me to speak with her in the stead of the Council," he said with folded arms.

"Is that so?" Tevos said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, Councilor, so, if there's anything you wish me to relay to Shepard, now is the time to do it," he concluded, aware that there was not much time for either one of them.

Tevos frowned at him, however, understood the necessity of time. "Come back in five minutes, I'll have something prepared for her."

He nodded, "Yes, Councilor."

"By the way," she said before he left the office, "I assume you went to the other Councilors with this news?"

Now it was Udina's turn to act surprised. "I assumed only you wished to speak with her."

Her frown deepened, "be careful with your words, Representative. Such words can lead to implications that could lead to unpleasant conclusions." After all the headaches High Command had been giving her about Shepard, it was disgustingly nice to work out that aggression on someone else.

Aware of his mistake he then took a step back to the door and said, "I apologize, Madam Councilor. I'll be sure that such a mistake isn't repeated. "

"Be sure that you do," she said flatly as he finally, as the human saying went, got the hint and went to pester Sparatus and Velarn.

When the door closed, she quickly took out a blank data pad and quickly penned in several questions she would have asked her, had the Alliance Parliament allowed them to see Shepard. The job itself did not require much thought or effort, however, until Udina returned, she had a moment to ruminate as to exactly why she became so defensive when it came to the human who would, by all rights, not live to see her hit her eighth century.

While the concept of Nora seeing her as a parent figure was not a new one, there had been others, Tevos never saw herself as such a thing before. Besides, she already had Admiral Anderson as a father figure, if she remembered her human phrases right.

Maybe she was just getting old. She was already three quarters into her sixth century. Matriarch Benezia, Athame bless her soul, was eight hundred when news of her having her first daughter reached her. Tevos almost laughed at the prospect of herself becoming a mother, even a surrogate one to a human. Her life was one of service and as such, the role of a family to call her own, even to appease the paparazzi, would be negligible at best.

A knock at the door broke her out of her thoughts as Udina had returned. Sooner than she would have liked, however, she acknowledged his presence, stood up and then handed him the data pad without a word.

She gave him a curt nod as he took the questions, harmless and to the point as usual, and left. While she was well enough aware that Spectres could take care of themselves, she certainly hoped that the Alliance legal system would allow Nora her freedom. The Hagemony notwithstanding, leaving Shepard behind bars was the wrong thing to do.

* * *

K: Would it be presumptuous of me to assume that you felt a sense of responsibility for Shepard?

T: My feelings on the matter were always irrelevant, however, being the one whom she communicated the most with, I did, in fact, feel responsible for her. While I wasn't aware of it at the time, the intrigue that prevented Anderson from becoming the first human Spectre had a very real possibility of happening a second time. I speak only for myself when I say this; she does her name and her people proud. Nothing will change that.


	5. Chapter 5

**2182**

"We thank you for applying for our News Team, however, we regret to inform you that- uhg!" Khalisah grumbled as she filed the fifteenth rejection letter she had received that week away.

Here she was. Graduated well above the average of her class. A self-made woman. A dogged and relentless researcher that double checked her facts, well aware of social and economic triggers in language.

Even the MLA guidelines would have bowed in deference to her!

All these accolades for her to use and none of the major networks wanted her. She even tried applying for citizenship for several of the other council races to be an ET-Liaison for their fluff pieces on different species. Still nothing.

Her face scrunched in disgust as she looked at the datapad that had been delivered to her a few days before. It was the only acceptance letter she had gotten, however, it was for the network she wanted to even think about the least.

Ronald McCabe. CEO of Westerlund News.

Westerlund News? That was a contradiction in terms. They were in the pockets of some of the most xenophobic, racist, and some would say inbred, families on Earth. To hear about some of the people that owned the station was frightening, even if they were unsubstantiated rumors. Ranged from wealthy business owners who insisted that their children do not marry or reproduce with people of darker skin tone, to megalomaniacs who insisted that no alien influence of any kind be allowed to 'taint' humanity.

She smirked when she remembered Westerlund's failed attempts at getting Fornax shut down on 'moral grounds', which was just a flimsy excuse and only seemed to bring their xenophobia to the forefront. They had no idea just how powerful the human libido was when it came to aliens.

And they wanted to hire her.

She'd been having this same internal debate for the past two days. When the rejection letters started pouring in and the savings account grew smaller, she had to make a decision and soon. The last thing she wanted to do was go back home, aware that her time had been wasted for something she couldn't get her foot into.

She then, woefully, went over to the datapad, located the signature point, put in her acceptance of their terms, which she had gone over with a fine toothed comb, and sent the signal.

The screen went blank and the picture of Mr. McCabe appeared with a self-satisfied smirk on it. The man would best be described as a Tower of Oil with his hair slicked back, dressed up like an Armenian Mobster with a thick, black mustache and a permanent smarm just for good measure.

"Hello, Ms. al-Jilani. Glad to see you come aboard. We at Westerlund only want the best and that was why we sent for you," the man said confidently. "We expect our time together to be a mutually beneficial one and that only the best could come from our business relationship."

Khalisah resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She knew PR speak when she heard it and this had all the earmarks of 'We're going to suck you dry like a leech and unless you either hit or put out, you're going nowhere, toots!'.

"Thank you for having me, Mr. McCabe," she answered cordially.

"You're most welcome, Ms. al-Jilani," he said before he took a long, and unnecessary drag from his cigar, "I assume you have all your paperwork in order?"

"I do, sir," she said, hating herself with each passing moment and holding the bile in at the sight of the man on the screen.

"Good. I'll book you on the next flight back to Houston and we can talk about your potentially lucrative, and successful, future here at Westerlund," he said with a smirk of his own.

"Thank you, sir," she noted, happy to know that her already shrinking savings wouldn't take a hit. It was expensive at the University of Sirona and the fares for intergalactic travel were not much better.

When the connection was cut, she flopped down on her bed face down, wondering what she had done.

Another beep from her omni-tool notified her of the flight she was to take. She had a day's time to get ready, which wasn't too bad, however, she frowned when she noticed a detail she should have asked about.

The ticket was only one way, the message also indicated she would need to return to Sirona once she was done with her interview, provided it went well, to prepare her to move to the Citadel, which was a league more expensive than living planetside. Of course they weren't going to pick up the check.

"_Ebn el sharmoota_," she groaned into her pillow in her native Arabic.

* * *

"Thank you, I'm Khalisah bint sinan al-Jilani and this has been Westerlund News," she said with a false smile and a nod towards her camera drone as the feed eventually cut.

She then thanked her interviewee for his time and walked off, leaving the scandalized salarian as she looked for a hole to crawl into. The questions she wanted to ask were tossed into the incinerator and the questions she *had* took precedence to the point she had to keep the bile in her throat. She was so much better at asking the hard questions than this.

Yes, there were times when you needed to go into uncomfortable territory in order to get some kind of response, but the questions Mr. McCabe had been sending to her were downright vicious. They were written specifically to make the interviewee uncomfortable.

"But Mr. McCabe," she had tried to reason with him, "people won't even want to speak with me if word gets around that it's all that I do?"

McCabe only laughed at the prospect. "All the better. That means that you need to know when to strike them at their most vulnerable. I'll send you a few more replacement drones just in case."

She sighed and leaned her forearm against the wall with her head nestled against it. She was getting good pay. She had a very flexible work schedule. Great benefits. Connections. Music students would kill to be in her position.

So, why did she feel like her stomach was full of hate for people she didn't even know? She had figured out a long time ago that you shouldn't hate someone because someone told you to, or because of some arbitrary label from someone else. No, the real reason why you should hate someone is because you know them and they're a completely insufferable douchebag.

For anything else, you simply disliked them and went your own way.

"Khali, is that you?" a familiar voice she hadn't heard in ages said from behind.

She turned to see Emily, in her usual obnoxious pink attire that she loved more than anything, with several files in her arms.

"Hello, Emily," she said as she pushed herself off the wall and faced her old friend, "it's been a while, hasn't it?"

Emily nodded eagerly. "I'll say. It's been a nightmare trying to write my Extra-Terrestrial Communications Thesis and working at my internship at Citadel News."

Khalisah balked. "Citadel News?"

Unaware that she had been applying to them for years, but had been rejected for reasons she was never privy to, Emily nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! First time too! Weird, isn't it? And they're going to give me my first news column as soon as I graduate on Human-Alien relations!"

Khalisah's eye fought back a twitch. She had been hoping for the same position. After all, she had been the top of her class in the Advanced Alien Cultural Studies 480 class.

"And if I play my cards right, I just might be the youngest newscaster that gets to operate on the Citadel! And-" she would have continued had Khalisah's omni-tool not beeped loudly.

She took advantage of the noise to stop the conversation, noting that it was merely her stress monitor going off into dangerous levels. "Ah, sorry Emily, but I need to go. Got another interview I need to get to. We'll talk later. Ok? Bye," she quickly shot off before she summoned her drone and walked the opposite direction Emily had come from, holding back a stream of vicious profanities born of jealously.

She grit her teeth and struck the side of her fist against the wall in the elevator. It didn't hurt, but the rage she felt at the time made her hand sore.

That was supposed to have been her job, dammit!

She put in the time! She put in the effort! She paid her dues! And for what?! Some dead end job for a bunch of inbred assholes!

She didn't want to blame Emily. She was a good girl and she no doubt worked for it. But it was nigh impossible for her to not feel some pangs of jealousy and anger for getting something easily that she never got after all the hard work she put into it.

She was about to sniff when another ring from her omni-tool broke her out of her self-induced pity party.

It was Varicia. The matron who was with that vicious old matriarch from a while ago. They had a few meals together to speak about current events and what not. However, her busy schedule prevented her from meeting her as much as she would have liked. They did, however, speak regularly for the past half year.

"Hello?" she asked blearily.

"Oh, hello!" the voice on the other end responded blithely, "I was afraid you were busy and I'm happy you're not."

Truth be told, she was happy the asari called her. "Just finished a job. What can I do for you?"

"Well, it had been a while and I was unsure as to human interaction habits if asking you to another meal at my apartment would not be too forward of me," Varcia politely asked.

That was one of the things she liked about the asari. She was tactful, almost to a fault. She'd have made a great politician if she were so inclined. However, she was more attracted to the ideas of slowly changing asari society for the better, which, Khalisah guessed, was why she followed that old battle axe. Why she decided to leave her successful Thessian Law practice and become Aethyta Polotheas' acolyte, she'd never know, however, the kickbacks she got left her comfortable enough and would for a long time, given how frugal she was.

And right now, she could go for a nice distraction from the fact that her life had taken a turn for the less than ideal.

"It wouldn't be forward at all. In fact, your timing's perfect," she answered with a weary smile.

She could hear the glee in the asari's voice. "Oh, wonderful! We can set up a time for when it's best for you. It would be uncouth of me if I were not a gracious host."

Khalisah chuckled. "You nothing if not a gracious host, Varicia."

"Oh, thank you."

* * *

Khalisah was grateful for the meal. However, she had to take into consideration just how much asari food she could eat, as she had heard somewhere that since all asari were natural biotics, the calorie count was much higher in their food than in human food.

"And so, Madam Aethyta just took another job on Illium," Varicia noted despondent, "as a bar tender. A bar tender! It's crime, I tell you! She shouldn't be serving drinks on a Trading planet run by overly paranoid business bureaucrats, she should be on Theissa, verbally whipping our people into shape... if that's how the human saying goes."

Khalisah smiled sadly as Varcia as she continued.

"She is one of the few people in our society that has the experience most in High Command do not. She understands that the asari as a whole are falling behind, regardless of the fact that we've established the galactic council."

"What do you suppose is what's holding the asari back?" Khalisah probed, feeling like a real reporter for once.

"Oh, many things," she began, slightly exasperated, "mostly; whatever keeps most civilizations from progressing; social conservatism. People are happy with the status quo and would prefer it not change. I can understand that. One cannot expect a society to grow when it's in constant turmoil, but to allow little to nothing for change is just as bad. It leads to stagnation."

Going over a few notes in her head, Khalisah then asked, "what was something that has helped asari society, you think?"

Varicia clapped her hands together. "Oh, the Siari philosophy, definitely. Made my people realize that we can look upward and outward to where our future can take us."

Khalisah swallowed a small piece of sweet Thessian fruit before asking, "and I take it, that's a reason why Athemist influence has declined as much as it has?"

She nodded. "Of course. Considering most of our shamanic and tribal traditions were annexed into the Doctrines of Atheme, Siari was a bit of a nebulous way of thinking that was so out of the ordinary, it's a wonder there are still people who still worship the Goddess in a literal sense."

"And yourself?"

Varicia smiled whenever Khalisah asked her about herself, since there were few who ever did. "Well, I like to think of myself as someone who believes that one can't go forward without remembering where one came from. Which is why I find it kind of sad how most asari merely invoke the name of the Goddess in exclamation or a base expletive. There's no respect for our roots."

Khalisah shrugged as she finished the piece of meat Varicia imported from Thessia. "Well, if it's any comfort, I don't think yours would be the first society that had a hard time struggling between faith, religion, and culture."

"What about you? You once told me you always went to a weekly worship when you used to live on Earth."

She leaned back a bit and smiled at the memory of her father having to be between herself and her brother during Friday Worship in order to prevent them from poking each other to see who would break first. Oh, the headaches her poor father had to endure with rowdy children.

"I did. However, the chances of actually finding a mosque in any of the colonies, let alone churches or synagogues, are pretty slim. So, I have to make do at home. Most of Islam stayed on Earth, can't blame them, really. I mean, around a century and a half ago, most people in the 'civilized world' couldn't tell the difference between a Sunni and a Shia. What are the chances wards on the Citadel would celebrate Ramadan?"

Varicia smiled. She visibly enjoyed it whenever Khalisah talked about her culture, her family, or Earth.

"Now I'm rambling. Sorry," Khalisah muttered, aware that Varicia had taken the time to prepare a meal she had prepared for her and she was not being a gracious guest.

She looked at her empty plate and was about to thank Varcia for her time when the asari stood up, walked to her side, gently took her hand and kissed it.

Khalisah found herself shocked and surprised.

Asari, despite the image many thought of them, did not do something so intimate with anyone in public. This was basically a declaration that any asari that was committed to you, your ideals, or your heart. It could be refused and, while disappointing, no insult would be taken for something so personal.

However, seeing Varicia, who had befriend her, trusted her, believed in her, had shown that she wished to be with her in a more personal manner, was flattering beyond words.

"Are you sure, Varicia? I mean, I won't live to see you become a matriarch," she answered, apprehensive for her sake.

"I know, Khalisah. However, you possess an intellect and a courage that I respect. And I desire to know of it more," she whispered in all earnestness.

Khalisah gave her a lop-sided smile, "even if I do work for a hyper conservative and xenophobic news channel?"

Varicia only smiled in response. "I know. However, that's not you. It never was. The woman in front of me is the Khalisah al-Jilani that pleases my heart and pleases me. And I am yours, if you will have me."

Khalisah couldn't lie, she had grown very fond of the asari and considering all they had been through, it didn't sound like such a bad prospect at all. To think it all started with that matriarch headbutting her.

"I have no experience at all being with asari, however, I don't think I'd mind, considering it's you," Khalisah said as she took Varcia's right hand, brought it to her face, and kissed the back of it.

Varicia's smile turned excited as she slowly pulled Khalisah up from her chair, wrapped her arms around Khalisah's waist and kissed her. When she had kissed back, she wondered if she was even doing it right, since most of the time girls, or boys for that matter, were an afterthought for most of her life. However, if Varica's gasping for air, dragging her into her bedroom, and kissing her again was of any indication, she was, apparently doing it right.

Asari skin texture, Khalisah found out as Varicia guided her hands to her cheek, was a lot smoother than she was led to believe. To her surprise, the smile the asari gave her didn't change as she slowly dragged her hand downward, gently opening up the robe to reveal the matron's body to her.

Khalisah's gaze jumped from Varicia's torso to her face, and noticing the purple blush that started to develop when it dawned on her;

She had no _T'Cra_, that was basically a circle of confidants with whom she would have regularly interacted with, and considering asari considered sex no different than a shared meal or a walk in the park, this was a not a small thing for her.

Khalisah knew she was about to pass a threshold she probably would not be able to go back from, however, she was too fond of the matron to reconsider. So, she stepped forward, wrapped her arms around Varicia's bare torso, angled her face to her and kissed her back.

There was genuine joy in Varicia's smile as she was kissed and whispered her name as she assisted Khalisah out of her own dress. She liked the warmth the human's skin exuded as it was touched.


	6. Chapter 6

**Present Day**

"Did they get your message?" Varicia said as she took her seat beside Khalisah as she was organizing her notes. She had assisted with the deploying of the Krogan troops and had left

"I think they did. I got a message from Padok Wiks and Wrex, he's going to bring another Urdnot that knew Shepard named Bakara, along with..." she then brought up an image of a horribly scribbled image of what was supposed to be a note from someone, but looked like it was written by a child. Both of them squinted their eyes to try and decipher the chicken scratch that was the note.

"Can you read this?" she asked Varicia, who shook her head.

"Not sure if anyone can read this," the asari responded.

Khalisah had an idea, but she felt apprehensive asking. However, considering they were on a planet full of Krogan whose natural instinct was to headbutt someone, she felt it less of a risk to ask.

"Excuse me," she said to the ceiling, hoping the AI was listening, "can you tell us who wrote this note?"

Immediately, a holographic image of a blue sphere atop a smaller pillar appeared over them both.

"Judging from the calligraphy, it is most likely written by Urdnot Grunt," she responded calmly.

"Was he another one of Shepard's squadmates?" Varicia asked.

"Correct. It is also pertinent to know that he considers Shepard a parent figure. So, consider your words carefully," the AI warned.

"So," Khalisah began, not sure if she was hearing her right, "Shepard adopted a Krogan? A full grown Krogan?"

"That is only partially correct," the AI answered, "Grunt is a tank bred Krogan created by a Krogan scientist."

There was an audible thud when both of them considered the implications of what such a thing could be.

"Is this one of those occasions where it would be best if we didn't think about the details?" Varicia asked her human companion.

"Probably," she answered, silently dreading the prospect of interviewing a Krogan who'd insist on defending Shepard to the point where violence was not out of the question.

* * *

**Urdnot Wrex:**

W: Shepard and I never met before the Citadel. I had, however, heard about her. I was finishing another job when I got word of what happened at Torfan. I knew the news feeds were lying about the numbers, but I had a feeling that if they were willing to make this big a stink about some moon about a bunch of scumbag batarian slavers, then it must have been one hell of a battle. Heh. I would have loved to see the look on the faces of those four eyed freaks' as Shepard took them out. You could smell the battle on her. It was vicious. The kind that Krogan love to sing about. I know most don't think Krogan as spiritual, but I really believe that the Stewards of the Void made our paths cross. I wanted to fight alongside the kind of warrior that got the notoriety of someone as labeled the Butcher.

K: Surely you and Shepard must have been at odds a few times. I mean, considering a Spectre and an N7 usually resorts to combat last, there have to have been occasions where you disagreed with her.

W: Of course! I wanted to see that Rachni die. When I heard that Shepard let it go, I was pissed. I brought it up with her, but she seemed determined that the Rachni were not the same Rachni my people fought against. Were it not for the fact that she had gone out of her way to help me with another job, I would have left right then and there to search for that Rachni and kill it myself.

K: Did it ever come to a head?

W: Over the Rachni? No. Virmire? Yeah, and it wasn't pretty. And here I thought I'd seen it all. For the first time in centuries, there was a cure for the genophage. From Saren of all people. Huh. I didn't know at first that the 'Krogan' on Virmire were just clones. Not real Krogan at all. And wouldn't you know, the cure there wasn't much of a cure at all. It only worked on the clones. If I tried to bring it back to Tuchaunka, it wouldn't have worked at all. I almost would have killed Shepard over nothing.

* * *

"This is about my people , Shepard!" Wrex growled as he looked directly into Nora's eyes, the anger obvious and growing hotter with every passing moment, "and from where I stand, the lines between friend and enemy are getting rather blurred."

"Dammit, Wrex, this isn't about you or me or anyone else! This is bigger than all of us!" Nora said, aware that though she stood half a foot taller than the Krogan, he could easily snap her in half if he was so inclined. "And don't think for a minute that I don't understand. My people have been bordering on the brink of extinction for centuries. _Haole_ would rather smother everything we are and turn us into them just so we could be their twisted vision of 'civilized'!"

"You think I give a damn what the Council thinks?! They're the ones that-" he would have continued had Nora not drawn her head back and struck her forehead against Wrex's crest. Tactically, an unsound move, however, it caught his attention as Shepard staggered back for a moment, the blow had drawn blood as Shepard glared at him.

"Wrex. Think! Stop for a minute and think! You really believe that Saren will allow you to use this 'cure' for your people? You saw them yourself, they're clones. They're not real Krogan at all! They're tools! Weapons! Saren is just going to use you and toss you aside! It'd be the Salarians all over again!" she growled as she tossed a glare towards Kirrahe and his men. "And even then, you think the other races would just sit idly by and let you use it? They'd wipe you out before you'd ever get the numbers to fight them!"

Wrex growled audibly, however, to his chagrin, he saw the wisdom in her words. The Council, the Salarians especially, wouldn't be stupid enough to let his people take advantage of the cure.

"Fine," he growled before he stepped up to stare right into Nora's eyes, "But you better be right about this, Shepard."

"Trust me, Wrex. I wouldn't fight you about this if I didn't have a good reason."

Wrex grunted once, and then went back into the jungle to hunt for more possible ambushes from the geth or the clones.

* * *

"Greetings," the Salarian said with a smile and an extended hand,"Padok Wiks. Salarian STG. Geneticist. Scientist."

Khalisah took his hand and shook in gingerly. "Khalisah al-Jilani. Reporter. Writer." The cardinal rule when in conversation with any salarian was 'less is more', so, many of the slower races had to, at times, prepare their statements before any sort of encounter.

"A pleasure to meet you, Ms. al-Jilani. Your work precedes you," he said with a grin which made Khalisah frown.

"I would hope it means you'll still go through with the interview," she answered carefully.

"Of course. Had information about Westerlund since your show hit the extranet. Niche market for those too scared to take a chance at meeting new species," he said as he clasped his hands behind his back.

"Indeed," she responded, hoping to move the subject elsewhere, "though, considering there's not much of an extranet at the moment, I may as well try and finish the book about Shepard."

Padok nodded blithely, aware of her discomfort. "Of course. What would you like to know, Ms. al-Jilani?"

* * *

K: What was your part in the curing of the Genophage?

**Padok Wiks**: Mordin Solus had requested my assistance during the early parts of the war. Both of us had experience in the STG and with the Genophage. Aware of the Reaper threat, I answered Dr. Solus' call for assistance. And I was the only one.

K: I assume that his decision to cure it didn't go over well with most other Salarians.

P: The Dalatress especially. While the STG often moves and commits action on behalf of the Union, it is often the Dalatress who makes the decisions upon such matters like who uplifts the other races when needed. In fact, it was one of her ancestors that decided that uplifting the Krogan was the best step to take when the Rachni appeared.

K: I heard there were rumors about an attempt at a sabotage of the Genophage cure.

P: Correct.

* * *

"Mordin, Padok," Nora whispered to the salarians quickly as Eve and Wrex went on ahead. She inclined her head to a nearby gap between two of the Taunka trucks and quickly marched to the place where she hoped they wouldn't be heard.

"Shepard, what is wrong?" Mordin asked Nora as the latter looked all around, finding no one in eye sight that was close enough for them to hear.

"I didn't want Wrex to know, but we have a problem," she said, clearly edgy.

"Concerning Genophage, no doubt," Padok offered.

Nora nodded in response. "Just before we hit the planet, I got a message from the Dalatress."

"Ah yes, Linron. Was never one to take defeat of anything lying down," Mordin muttered with a finger under his chin.

"Yes. She also informed me that the Shroud where the Genophage was first implemented has been sabotaged. There's still a working variant inside the tower," Nora whispered heatedly, glad she had an outlet after holding back her anger at the Dalatress' arrogance.

"Hmm, interesting," Mordin replied as he began to pace. "Shouldn't be too hard. If variation in Shroud is one I believe it is..."

"...then all it would take is a few minor alterations of temperature to convert the existing sample in the Shroud to the cure," Padok finished.

Mordin was half impressed, half annoyed with his colleague, however, he nodded nonetheless. "Yes. It can be done."

"How much time will you both need?" Nora asked as she pulled out her rifle at the distant roar of the Reaper guarding the Shroud.

"Should take no time at all. Simple, however, good to know of existence of previous sample is in the way," Mordin said quickly.

"The Dalatress would not make this deal for nothing, what did she offer in exchange for the sabotaged cure?" Padok asked.

Shepard sighed before answering, "the First Fleet and all the scientists at her disposal to help find a weakness in Reaper Indoctrination."

"Ah, yes. Heard about that. Was able to acquire all the notes the Union had made on the matter. Was working on a counteragent when the war broke out. Hoping to get the chance to finish it myself," Padok said.

Nora the slapped her hand on his shoulder and said, "once we're done here, get all your notes and get yourself back to the Normandy. Got a whole bunch of Binary Helix scientists on the line that could use your help." She paused for a moment, then digressed, "so, you think there's a way to make it appear that the cure was sabotaged?"

"Simple enough," Mordin chimed in, "a few more adjustments here and there will render any sort of observation the Dalatress has on the planet to make her believe that the sabotage worked until the first clutch of Krogan offspring is born."

Nora smiled, the first smile either one of them had seen on her face, "good. Do what you need to do. We got a race to save and bunch of Reapers to stop!"

* * *

K: Whatever became of Dr. Solus?

P: Alas, when we had reached the Shroud, the fight between the Reaper on planet and the Alpha Thresher Maw had damaged it. STG sabotage had forced Dr. Solus to disperse the cure manually.

* * *

"Mordin! No!" Nora yelled as she tried to stop her friend from entering the elevator, however, the door had shut her off. The salarian inside seemed to have no inclination to open it. Yet, he seemed as calm as the morning sun.

She refrained from hitting her hand on the glass enclosure and instead, begged through the glass, "Mordin, please..." There was already so much lost. She didn't want to lose more.

The Salarian doctor only smiled at her, took a deep breath, and said calmly, "it had to be me. Someone else would have gotten it wrong."

Fighting back the tears at the prospect of losing him, she smiled and said, "I'll save a few seashells for you, ok?"

Mordin nodded in appreciation.

Nora stepped back a pace and said over the roar of the destruction, "_Aloha 'oe, hoaloha_."

When the elevator cabin departed, the smile slowly faded as she then took stock of the fact she needed to get out of there immediately.

* * *

K: He was a friend of yours, wasn't he?

P: Yes. At times. But then again, most friendships are not always ideal. However, when he passed, it was a loss to everyone. However, in an almost karmic sense, this was meant to be. He had placed so much blame upon himself for the suffering of the Krogan that for him to give his life for it seemed to be a much more rational transaction.

K: And what of the Dalatress?

P: I was there after Tuchaunka. It was unsettling to see that the Dalatress would see the galaxy so narrowly as all of us were fighting for our lives.

* * *

Nora leaned against the panel with a heated glare at the Dalatress as Padok waited in the shadows.

"Are you satisfied now?" Nora grumbled, aware she had to keep up appearances.

From her projection, the Dalatress smiled smugly at the report she had been given. "All appears to be in order," she then turned to Shepard, the arrogance still palpable, "I will send you the assistance of the First Fleet and my scientists as promised for your little pet project."

"Thank you," Nora responded with gritted and bared teeth, her irritation with the salarian growing by the minute.

"I suggest you use your energy on a more worthwhile pursuit, Commander. The Krogan are brutes and I will not abide the idea of them being able to threaten the Union or the galaxy again."

"Provided we win the war in the first place, but if the help of the Krogan could have been what helped us win, be aware that our extinction is all upon your head because you wanted to play politics in the middle of a war," she grumbled.

The Dalatress sneered at her in return. "You place too much faith in them. You never should have allowed Dr. Solus to go through with this. The Union and the STG lost a valued member today."

"I lost something more," Nora shot back, "I lost a friend, an ally, and someone that I could trust. They seem to be so few in number these days."

"Whether you like it or not, Commander Shepard," the Dalatress folded her arms, "the game of politics has more pull than you ever will. Unless you are aware of its many intricacies, then you will never be able to succeed."

"All that I care about now is that I get the Fleet and those scientists. I got enough on my plate as it is," Nora stood up, her frown unceasing.

"You shall get them," Linron said, her own patience with the human fading, "and if there is nothing else, then our business here is concluded."

"One last thing," Shepard said as she stood up, "you are right. I have little understanding in the politics of the galaxy. However, I do understand people and what they're worth. You may be the one that makes the orders, Dalatress, but know this; Mordin Solus was worth ten of you. Good day."

* * *

K: That... probably wasn't the best of things to tell her.

P: Indeed. Even as the war raged on, Shepard had received a few notices that she was being watched by those most would have considered her allies, but knew well enough to stay back while the war was going on. Perhaps it was best that she vanished after the war ended. She made friends, yes, but she also made enemies. Many of them.

* * *

Nora Shepard: Mordin Solus' loss hurt. A lot. During my time hunting the Collectors, he and I had a chance to speak quite a bit about what he had done and in comparison to what I had done... well, I found it easy to sympathize. When we had gotten to Tuchaunka the first time, he and I had an argument that lasted for well over an hour. Wasn't pretty. However, both of us knew all too well how much sleep you can lose when you think you have all the right to play God.

* * *

P: I should also note that it was Dr. Solus' notes that enabled me to find a counteragent for indoctrination.

K: How was that possible? Every report on it before the war said there was no cure.

P: That's what I thought. However, turns out that there was a clue that we were all missing.

* * *

Going over his notes, Padok paced through the medical bay of the ship nonstop, flustered at the lack of leads. True, the horrid manipulation of the neural restructuring was complex, however, even if they had been doing this for so long, then it certainly could not have been foolproof.

Amid pacing, Padok muttered to himself, "in short, of matters turian, asari, and batarian, I am the very model of a..." He caught himself and frowned. Damn Mordin and his obsession with Gilbert and Sullivan. That blasted song. May he rest in peace.

He paused. Then, he went back to some of the older notes he had collected, some from Shepard, scrolling through the liner notes frantically. That was, until he found Shepard's report from Noveria in 2183.

'A sour yellow note'.

His eyes went wide. The Rachni. It was a long shot. But maybe, just maybe. It could work.

He quickly ran to the console and shouted, bringing up the captains room, "Shepard! Shepard! Are you there?!"

A tired Shepard's voice responded after a moment. "What is it, Dr. Wiks?"

"You mentioned reports from the Aralakh Company mentioning something about the Rachni, correct?"

"Yeah. We're en route at the moment. But we have some time before we get there. Why? What's wrong?"

"Not wrong, right! I may have a potential solution to our little indoctrination problem," he quickly stated.

"Sounds great... now, could you let me know when I'm completely awake, in my armor, and in the Kodiak on the way to the planet's surface?"

He blinked, then looked to the clock to realize that it was in the dead of night and most of the normal human staff were resting. "Oh, terribly sorry, Shepard. I'll be sure and prepare a proper test for my hypothesis for when we reach Aralakh Company."

* * *

K: So, how exactly was a song responsible for breaking Indoctrination?

P: You see, the Reapers used a specific sound wave, operating at a frequency so high that only creatures of a higher cognitive function would be able to be affected by it. Of course it could be used on baser creatures, however, its primary use was breaking down the cognitive functions of creatures and rewriting them to suit the Reapers' purpose. The Rachni, who speak using pheromones and sound, found themselves muddied and silenced by these... let's call them 'atonal' notes that change the victim on a subconscious level. Using their methods of communication as a base, we were able to find the base frequency and reverse it. In short, the Rachni are part of the reason why most of us are here today. But Dr. Solus was the impetus.

K: Layman's terms?

P: The song that Rachni used to communicate with each other was the catalyst for creating a counter agent, and subsequently, a cure for Indoctrination. It also shattered their ability to shield themselves from our weapons at the time. Quite a discovery, I must say.

* * *

The Krogan female looked down at Khalisah as she slowly took a seat of her own, not saying anything, not giving any indication of favor or no. That was a start. Maybe, Khalisah thought hopefully, that female Krogan were easier to approach. If she ever wanted to do a book on them, maybe this Urdnot Bakara would be willing, but that was for later.

"You wished to ask questions about Shepard?" the Krogan said calmly.

"I do. I'm writing a book so that everyone can hear her story," she replied in kind.

"There are those who do not look favorably upon her, even after all she has done."

"That tends to happen a lot."

"Shepard showed trust and kindness towards our people when the galaxy had turned its back upon us. More than just curing the Genophage. While our time together was short, she was able to show me the color of her character."

* * *

Eve was cold, even with her robes and shawl. Mordin spoke to the human, Shepard, about procuring her some blankets and she figured the best she could do was wait. She was no fool when it came to military procedure on an alien ship such as the Normandy. However, waiting just to feel a bit less chill was something she just had to endure it seemed.

She looked to see the door open and the tall human, Shepard, appeared again. This time, she held something in her hands that surprised her.

It was a blanket. However, the designs from what she could see were far too ornate.

"Eve," Shepard spoke with a small smile, aware at how late it was.

"Shepard," she nodded in turn.

"I was not able to find any blankets that were thick enough, however, I was able to find this," Nora said as she held onto the edges of the cloth she held and let it unfold.

It was a beautiful set of colors, all of which held a wholesome brown base. The teal, opal, and cerulean colored strips were arranged in a beautiful pattern the likes that she would have only seen on far more intricate robes that the Krogan once made before they took to space.

"It's a gift from my tribe back on Earth. I was supposed to use it as a blanket, but it seemed far too valuable for me to use it," she then looked to Eve, who remained still, as Nora gently draped the blanket over her shoulders. Despite how small it seemed, it was large enough to cover the Krogan and provide the additional warmth she had requested for.

"You wish I to use this?" Eve asked.

Nora nodded. "when you told me about your trials of becoming a shaman, it reminded me of the head of my tribe, Paco. Granted, he didn't go through the same types of trials you did, however, a lot of what you said ringed so familiar to me." Her face slowly fell, "I can only hope that he and the rest of my tribe are still alive."

Eve tilted her head a bit towards Nora. "Would they fight to preserve their culture and their spirits?"

Nora nodded. "Yes. A lot of the youth of the tribe often leave once they get a chance to go to college and get a degree. However, a lot tend to come back and contribute to the tribe when they get the chance. Maybe someday I'll return and do the same."

"It is because your spirit is strong, Shepard," Eve said with no pause. "That is how, if what I hear is true, you will prevail against these Reapers."

Nora sighed and took a seat across from her. "If it only were so easy. We've lost so many already and we'll lose a lot more before this is over. And I'm hardly the only one people should rely on."

"That always appears to be the nature of things. However, I believe that our peoples will survive."

"What makes you so sure?"

"My people have been on the verge of extinction for so long. We are familiar with it. And with the rest of the galaxy in a similar situation, it only seems natural that the other races would react no differently than we would."

"So, what happens after that? We defeat the Reapers. I got a feeling that things won't be the same after this war is over... if it's over."

"We will adapt. As all life does."

"And yet, I'm not filled with confidence. And pardon my saying this, Eve, but even if you were able to keep Wrex and the other males reigned in from stopping another Krogan uprising, what's to stop Krogan like the ones in the Bloodpack from trying to start their own?"

"I understand your apprehension, Shepard. However, I would only ask you this. We brought the genophage upon ourselves because of the Old Ways. The Old Ways were what turned Tuchaunka into a barren wasteland. This war has convinced us that New Ways had to be implemented if we are to survive after the war, should we emerge victorious, considering how eager our enemies would wish us dead. I believe our change in behavior is what inspired Dr. Solus to help undo it and we will honor his trust."

Nora was silent for a long moment. Then, she nodded and said, "Ok, Eve. I'll hold you to your word. And if necessary, I'll try and help if you ask for it."

Eve chuckled for a moment. "Do not worry. Some of the males in the other clans are just as determined to adhere to the New Ways as the females are. We will not waste this chance to prove ourselves."

* * *

K: I've been meaning to ask...

**Urdnot Bakara**: Yes. We have kept our word and ensured that the numbers of our clutches remain small. Which means only three per union. And it is the females who decide whom they will mate with. These are but a few of the New Ways.

K: Ok, thank you for answering that. I apologize if I came off as rude.

B: Do not worry. You would not be the first, nor will you be the last.

* * *

K: So, Urdnot Grunt. What is Shepard to you?

**Urdnot Grunt**: She is my Battlemaster! And there's no one better.

K: What makes her different from people like, for example, Urdnot Wrex from among your people?

G: Battlemaster understands us. She lives like us. When she fights, it's not the clumsy, misteps of most people. She makes it to another level.

* * *

Through the atmosphere, a single meteor screamed through the greyed clouds of London and crashed into a literal sea of husks of all shapes and sizes. The explosion sent most of the husks in every which direction as flames engulfed those unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast radius.

When the fires died down, Nora Shepard stood up from the source of the blast and whipped her long, bladed hair out of her face. When the husks regrouped and noticed her, they charged.

Nonplussed, Nora pulled out a pair of shades, a cigar and muttered, "it's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum," after she had put her shades on, her free hand lit up with biotic fire as she used it to light the cigar. "and I'm all out of kick ass."

She put the cigar in her mouth and without another word, charged the horde of husks that meant her harm. One by one, she had punched, kicked, thrown, beaten, uppercut, and tore her way through swaths of husks.

When it seemed like she was going to be overwhelmed, she had yanked out a pole from the remnants of a telephone post and began to use it like a shaolin combat staff. With each swing, she took out more and more husks that seemed endless. In one circular swing, she had cleared out the avenue and it seemed there were no more husks for her to defeat.

However, a rumble caused her to turn around to see the imposing sight of Harbinger landing nearby, his golden eyes aglow with malice, and narrowed.

One could not see her eyes, covered by the shades, however, they too were narrowed, as her archenemy was ready to do battle.

Her biotics died down, she threw the pipe aside, and then whipped her arms out to form a pair of bright omni-blades that appeared out of nowhere.

Harbinger growled, and had each tentacle pull out a massive omniblade of their own.

Accepting his challenge, Nora then spat out her wasted cigar, and then charged.

In a speed that belied his size, Harbinger also charged and with all his omni-blades ready to slice her to bits, drew them all back to finisher off for good. Both warriors raised their weapons, at top speed, and then swung.

*SHING!*

Nora skidded to a halt, with her back to Harbinger. Her face remained neutral as the shades slowly slid off her face and onto the ground, cut at the bridge. At the same time, Harbinger then slowly fell into four pieces. His defeat would forever shame any Reaper that would survive after this day.

Nora began to walk away as the remaining pieces of the Reaper exploded as she pulled out another pair of shades and put them on. When hundreds more Reapers descended from the sky, Nora frowned and pulled out another cigar. After she had a good drag and puffed out a cloud of smoke that formed into the symbol of clan Urdnot, she grumbled to her would be destroyers, "I'm not gonna fight you," she cracked her knuckles, "I'm gonna kick your asses. Every one of them!"

And she did.

That was how Nora Shepard stopped the Reapers.

And it was glorious.

* * *

K: I... see…

G: That is why Shepard is my Battlemaster!


	7. Chapter 7

**En route to Palaven**

"Excuse me, Ms. al-Jilani?" a voice from behind both of them said from nowhere. Both women turned to see a smiling Japanese woman in an Alliance uniform. However, what made her stand out was not her pale and immaculate skin, with a mop of immaculate black hair, but the unusual purple tattoo on her lip and chin.

"Yes? Can I help you?" Khalisah asked.

"I heard the scuttlebutt that you've been interviewing people that knew Shepard, that true?" she asked.

Khalisah nodded. "I am. Why do you ask?"

The woman smiled more broadly. "Well, just so happens that I was working with Shepard during her campaign during her hunt for the Collectors."

Both Khalisah and Varicia blinked. The former looked through her data pad but didn't find any notes of an alliance agent that fit the woman's description in front of her.

"You're not going to find any records of me. I'm off the books, however, I've been given clearance from the higher ups to answer any questions you may have," she said with a smile.

Khalisah, wanting more notes from her campaign aginast the Collectors figured it wouldn't hurt, despite the misgivings she had about this woman's mischievous smile.

"Could I have your name, please?"

The woman smiled brightly. "Youkaiko Ishikawa."

* * *

K: So, how exactly did you come into Shepard's squad?

**Youkaiko Ishikawa, Professional Infiltrator**: While I can't give away all the details, suffice it to say that I was able to obtain assistance from Shepard for a favor.

* * *

Kasumi, as their air car drew closer to Donovan Hock's residence, stole another look at her guest in the back seat. She could not help but appreciate all the hard work she did to have the perfect assistant/bait/partner.

Nora Shepard was in a dress. Not just any dress, but a dress that left her shoulders, back, and one of her legs bare, made of silk that was similar to the color of her hair. Her hair, usually braided and in a bun behind her head or cut short, draped over her shoulders and back like an obsidian waterfall that fell to her waist.

For one of the few times in her life, she also wore a white shawl that seemed to fit into the persona of 'Allison Gunn'. She was a master mercenary with a falsified record that showed her ruthless efficiency, high success rate, luxurious lifestyle, and unflappable professional attitude.

"Gotta say, Shep," Kasumi said with a small whistle, "you look great. Hock won't be able to keep his hands off of you."

Nora's already noticeable frown drooped deeper. "He touches me once, he's pulling back a bloody stump."

To Kasumi's dismay, the glowing scars and red eyes seemed to put off the idea that she was supposed to be an alluring distraction, however, the fact she had been able to get Shepard in a dress in the first place was a miracle in it of itself.

"Think that can wait until we find it and get it back?" she said with a sad smile.

Nora let out a long-suffering growl. "Fine. However, if he tries to get fresh, then all bets are off."

"There we go!" Kasumi chirped happily, "I'm sure you've got the smooth moves to keep his hands off until we can access his personal vaults."

"I can't believe you talked me into this. I'm as far from high society as you can get, Kasumi," she groaned, "it'll just be a matter of time before someone or something blows my cover. And I certainly hope my armor and weapons are there already, because when the shooting starts, I'm not going to be in a good mood."

"Don't worry, Shep. Like my mother once said, 'A moment of patience, gives ten years of peace'," the thief said unconcerned.

"I wonder if she's ever heard of diminishing returns," Nora grumbled dourly as she adjusted the shawl that was making her breasts itch.

"Well, she also poisoned my father from time to time to make sure he wouldn't philander. She promised him the cure upon his swift return home from work," she pointed out as a matter of fact.

Nora balked at the revelation. "Really?"

"Of course not, silly!" Kasumi tittered to Nora's relief, "it would just make him impotent."

"Didn't need to hear that," Shepard mumbled as she massaged her temples.

"Ok, we're here. It's show time!" Kasumi said as her cloak activated and the air limo slowly hovered to settle upon the ground in front of the entrance.

Nora took one last deep breath, then slowly, with practiced, and hopefully, convincing grace, stepped out of her limo and pretended to appraise the mansion in front of her as though it were merely her summer home or a condo she would use to throw parties if she had the kind of money Donovan Hock apparently had.

"Ah, Ms. Gunn. We've been expecting you," the well dressed and equally smug man said as he stepped out of the home.

Here goes nothing, Nora told herself as she walked forward and accepted his outstretched hand. "A pleasure to meet you at last, Mr. Hock."

* * *

K: So, what was it that Shepard needed to help you retrieve?

Y: That's a secret.

K: And what was the purpose for Shepard helping you?

Y: That's a secret too.

K: And how are you affiliated... let me guess, that's a secret too?

Y: You learn quickly, Ms. al-Jilani. As did Shepard.

* * *

Nora was suspicious of the fact that for most of the night, Kasumi was popping in and out everywhere, just at the right place and at the right time. Suspicious, she went back to her room and heard Kasumi's voice, but not talking to her.

"Oh! Why, hello there, panties!" she quickly dashed into her room to see the distorted outline of a cloaking field, hunched over the opened dresser drawer.

"Hey, Shep," Kasumi answered, unperturbed at the fact that she was found.

"You're going through my wardrobe?" Nora said incredulously. She had assumed that Kasumi had some sort of standards.

She reappeared and turned around with a hand on her hip and a smirk on her face. "Really, Shep, I go through everyone's clothes. It says quite a bit about them."

"And you can't just mingle like regular... what am I saying, you'd find that boring," Nora said with a weary sigh.

"Bingo!" Kasumi tittered excitedly, eager to find more treasures during the victory party. "Oh, by the way," she pulled out a particular article from behind her and held the latest treasure she had discovered in Nora's drawers with an ever growing smile, "you have excellent taste in lingerie, Shep. Bet Liara appreciates that. "

Nora's eye twitched, however, she kept her cool and folded her arms. "I like the texture of silk. Is there a problem?"

Kasumi's grin only grew more mischievous. "None whatsoever."

* * *

K: I... see...

Y: Shep's the kind of friend you can depend on, and even better, she's a great sense of humor!

* * *

"Ms. Ishikawa told us you wished to speak with us?" another voice asked from behind as Khalisah and Varicia turned to see another pair of individuals in Alliance uniforms.

The women with her hand on her hip, nodded her head. "Miranda Lawson," she inclined her head to her partner, "this is Jacob Taylor. We were informed that you were doing interviews on Shepard's squadmates, correct?"

"Yes," Khalisah answered, hoping that the woman did not seem as dangerous as she appeared to be. In fact, she could have sworn she saw this woman with Shepard while she was on the Citadel last.

"Well, here we are. Both of us, including Ms. Ishikawa, were with Shepard during her campaign against the Collectors and to a lesser extent, the Reaper Wars. If there's any questions you'd like to have answers to, we can answer them."

"That seems... surprisingly generous. We've normally had to go through a lot of hoops to get people to meet with us, let alone answer any questions," Khalisah responded, slightly cynical.

Jacob cracked a smile. "Not every day you get a chance to tell people what kind of person Shepard was as you worked with her."

"We would be happy to have you," Varicia said as she began to set up the drone she had requisitioned.

* * *

**Miranda Lawson; Former Cerberus Head of Research and Development**: Upon the news of Nora Shepard's death in 2183, I was tasked with the revival of the individual we saw more than a soldier. She was an icon. A symbol. A badly needed one.

K: Why is that?

M: While, at the time, Cerberus felt that while it and Shepard disagreed on a good many things, they did agree that they saw the Reapers as a threat when most people did not or were not aware.

K: I can only imagine what your introduction to each other must have been like, considering the first thing she learned about you were not flattering.

M: Believe me, it was unpleasant. In fact, calling it unpleasant was an understatement.

* * *

Miranda, with her hand on her hip, glowered back at Shepard, who towered over her, growling like a caged animal that had been poked one too many times. The glowing orange scars and the heated red eyes almost dared her to blink.

She had seen what had happened when Shepard had woken up.

She had seen it on the monitors from where she was and how she fought. On the side of those images, she saw the slack jawed and stunned looks of both Jacob and Wilson and she was in agreement with them, partially.

They had awakened a monster.

The augmentations and improvements to her body were working far too well. She had done more damage to the station than the haywire security mechs did. She had not only, with her biotics alone, had taken down most of the mechs, but she had utterly destroyed an Atlas Heavy Mech by herself, unarmored, and without conventional weapons.

At the moment, she seemed more angered over the fact that she wasn't the one that shot Wilson in the neck before she had a chance to murder the man himself.

"Are you done yet, Shepard?" she said, unafraid of the fact that the woman in front of her was ready to tear her apart.

"What was the point of shooting him if you couldn't find out how or why he did this?!"

"Lack of time," she stated as a matter of factly, "restraining him is impossible, given that the facility's on its last legs."

As if to prove her point, a heavy rumble shook the docking bay and tossed all of them off balance.

"Furthermore, Cerberus doesn't deal well with traitors," she ended curtly.

Nora held on to a door frame. "Fine. What about other survivors?"

"There aren't any. Wilson made sure that the security mechs took out everything with a pulse. Out of the fifty-four staff members on this station, there's only you, myself, and Jacob. And unless we want to be caught in the blast, we best get on the shuttle and be off! You're far too valuable to die here."

Shepard gave her another glare, but relented. She quickly walked up and shoved Miranda out of the way and into the shuttle. They exchanged another glare as Jacob took the far seat as the other two women sat across from each other.

"Just be grateful that Jacob here told me you were Cerberus. It would have ended a lot worse if he hadn't," she said evenly as the Kodiak was released from its restraints and then made a break for the atmosphere shield and into space.

Miranda then turned to Jacob and smiled, "oh, Jacob. So trusting. So naive."

"It's because of him you're still breathing, Lawson. So get off his back," she tossed him a look that said that she knew he was in trouble for telling the truth, however, she could respect that and the fact that he had all the marks of a marine like herself.

The smile vanished off of Miranda's face. "Are you certain of that?"

"Miranda, stop. Just let it go. It's not worth it," he said with his arms folded.

With the possibility of another fight gone, Nora slowly edged herself to the corner seat, curled up, and kept her eyes on Miranda as she turned on her omni-tool to fill in some report.

The tense silence continued well into the next hour as Miranda then finished her work on the omni-tool, then asked, "since we have the time, we could still do a few questions; Shepard, to make sure your memories are still intact."

Nora answered her nothing.

"First off, you remember the date in which you were date you were made a Spectre for the Council?"

Nora still said nothing.

"What about the names of your squadmates during the hunt for Saren?"

Silence.

Growing increasingly irritated, Miranda then pressed, "Shepard, are you listening to me?'

Only the smooth and almost inaudible sound of her breath going in and out answered her when both Miranda and Jacob had realized she had fallen asleep. The battle on the station had taken out more of her than she realized.

* * *

K: I can only imagine how well it must have gone the longer you worked together.

M: Actually, it did smooth out after a while. She still didn't trust me, though. However, we both came to an agreement that until the Collectors were taken care of, we would maintain our professionalism.

K: Was there a turning point? Or did nothing change during the time you two worked together?

M: There was. There was a personal problem I couldn't handle on my own. It was out of our way and frankly, it took us away from our mission. However, the time that Nora Shepard took out of that for me, and for the rest of us, had earned our loyalties.

* * *

Nora and Miranda looked at Orianna speaking with her adopted family from the other side of the crowd. The former looked over to see Miranda smiling for once at the sight of her sister, happy and completely unaware.

"Aren't you going to talk to her?" Nora offered solemnly.

Miranda shook her head. "No. She deserves to live better than I did. She deserves..."

"Miranda," Nora interrupted, "you actually have a sister. Some of us aren't so fortunate. Moreover, Orianna has a sister that cares for her enough that she did what she had to do in order to protect her. I think she deserves to know, at least, whom her sister is. If she wants to be your sister still, even after all that you've done, then be the sister she wants and deserves."

Miranda, for once her confidence shaken, turned to Nora, who was still tired and exhausted from fighting off Henry Lawson's men. Shepard inclined her head in Orianna's direction, silently prodding her to do something she had been scared to do for so long.

"The Normandy will be waiting for you when you're done. Take all the time you need," Nora said as she turned around and left Miranda, scared and excited as she took the first tentative steps forward towards her sister.

She then turned and saw Shepard vanish into the crowds. She then quickly turned to see Orianna and her family about to leave.

"Excuse me!" she called after them and hurried her pace to catch up.

* * *

K: That's surprising. I mean, considering your affiliation with Cerberus and all.

M: True, however, it was the fact that she assisted me with something outside of Cerberus was how we were able to eventually work together and possibly even be friends.

K: Good to hear.

M: The only thing I truly regret was discovering something I kept to myself and hid from everyone, even Cerberus, and not letting Shepard know about it until the Reaper War started.

* * *

"Shepard, I can't thank you enough for helping me find my sister," Miranda noted as they pulled themselves out of the flow of human traffic in the loading bay.

"But that's not what this is about, is it? Did you find her?" Nora asked as she looked around to make sure they were not being followed.

"No. In fact, it's something I've wanted to give you for a while. Consider it a repayment for the good you did for me," she said as she pulled out a data pad from her pack and handed it to Shepard.

"What's this?" she said as she started to read through the news articles that were dated from the mid-2150s.

"During our time in the Lazarus Project, I made a very, very meticulous search about you, where you came from, your genetic history, and so on. This is information I kept for myself. Just in case. The Illusive Man knew nothing about it, since it was not entirely relevant to the Project itself," she said with her arms folded.

"Yes, but what's the point? I'm a Sand Dropping. I don't see-" she then paused when she noticed a pair of names; Benjamin and Nara Kahue*. She then scrolled down a few more pages to see her genetic print, taken from the general world wide database, then the pictures matched to prove something Nora never knew for her whole life.

She looked up to Miranda and whispered, "I... I have a family?"

The former Cerberus operative nodded. "Deeper in the data pad, there'll be reports of you missing from the massive flood that hit San Diego in 2158. Somehow, you were separated from your family, relocated from there due to a logistical error, and wound up not too far north into the slums of Old Los Angeles. Despite the best efforts of your parents, you were never found and presumed dead."

Nora's breath began to accelerate. She found her birth certificate. She was named Kaiolohia Kahue. Her birth name meant 'the Calm Sea'. She had a family!

She then gasped, remembering the fact that the Reapers were scouring Earth. "Are they ok? Are they-"

Miranda smiled and held up her hand. "They're fine, Shepard. They relocated to one of the smaller colonies in the Traverse. The Reapers have been only hitting the heavily concentrated planets, and systems. Which means they still have time. We all still do. Thanks to you."

Miranda had a feeling that Nora Shepard would have happy with the news. However, she did not expect the larger woman to take her into her arms and swing her around happily, proclaiming, "I have a family!"

* * *

K: Was she ever able to find her family?

M: Yes. And frankly, I'm glad she did. Because she helped me find my sister, it seemed only right that I help her find hers. There are so many families that have been separated because of the war, I'm glad that I was able to help rebuild one.

(Author's Note: The names of Shepard's family, to protect them from hostile elements, were ultimately changed in the first published edition of the publication.)

* * *

**Jacob Taylor; former Alliance Corsair, former Cerberus Head of Security on Project Lazarus**: For almost two years, it was hard to see Shepard being reconstructed. I flew more than sixty missions with the Alliance Corsairs and I'd seen my fair share of unpleasant sights, but seeing a human being on a table, half dissected, half reconstructed with machines was an unsettling sight.

K: You were there when Shepard first awoke, were you not?

J: I was.

K: Was your first impression of her the same as Miranda Lawson's?

J: It was similar. Yes.

* * *

Nora's glowing red eyes narrowed at Wilson's protestations as she slowly edged towards the first aid pack, returned with the medi-gel.

After it was administered and Wilson up on his feet, Shepard turned again to the black and gold insignia on the wall. Jacob could tell she was trying her hardest to figure out where she had seen that before. Her long black hair, which spilled over her face and down her back, made the almost Amazonian woman look half-way feral. She hadn't found her armor yet, her skin was littered with glowing orange scars from the biogel meant to hold her together, and she was breathing steam, no doubt her metabolism was going overboard because of the L5 implant that raised her biotics to obscene levels of power.

"Come on, we got to get out of here," Wilson said.

"Wait," Jacob interrupted. He then turned to Nora, "Shepard, I know you got a lot of questions, however, there's something I think you need to know."

"Taylor!" Wilson shot back, "are you crazy?"

"We won't be able to make it out if she doesn't trust us!" Jacob shot back as he put his gun away and raised his hands as if to indicate himself unarmed, "Shepard, I know this probably won't sit well with you knowing this, but better to tell you now rather than later." He inclined his head towards the logo on the wall. "If you've seen that insignia before, it's because you have. We're part of Cerberus; the Project Lazarus Division."

"Cerberus..." Nora croaked, her voice somewhat dry from all the combat, "Cerber..." her eyes then went wide, her teeth bared, and before either man could react, she vanished in a flash of biotic light, charged Jacob, and pinned him to the wall.

"CERBERUS!" Nora snarled, her body exploding with immense dark energy in the room.

Aware that if he didn't try and calm her down, he was a dead man, Jacob yelled, "Shepard! Listen to me! I wouldn't have told you if I didn't think you'd trust me! Please!"

To his good fortune, his words did reach her. She let go and took several steps back from him, however, the almost uncaged animal still regarded both of them with suspicion as she started to look around as if expected another attack.

"Shepard. I know Cerberus has a bad reputation. However, right now, we need to get off this station before it blows up. Can you trust me at least until we're off?" he said with his hands still open.

There was a tense moment of silence as Nora looked to both him and Wilson. However, reason seemed to have won out, since Shepard had the moment to think before she nodded. "Fine. For now, I go with you. But know this; I don't work with terrorists."

He finally lowered his hands and let loose a breath of relief.

* * *

K: Wow. She sounded rather… belligerent.

J: For good reason. If you were dead for two years and suddenly found out that you were revived by an organization that you hated, you'd be in a bad mood too.

* * *

Nora roared as once again, she tore through the projectiles in a biotic charge that decimated the latest squad of Loki Mechs. With most of her momentum, she was able to grasp the last mech's head and drive it into the wall. However, not before she overloaded it with her biotics, grabbed it by its limp arm, and swung it around, violently, into yet another group of mechs.

Wilson and Jacob were doing their best to keep pace as Shepard charged once more ahead, seemingly overcome with an insatiable lust for destruction as she shattered her barriers in the middle of another squad. The resulting displacement of energy sent more mechs sprawling away and into the walls at breakneck speeds.

"Shepard!" Wilson yelled as he and Jacob panted as they finally caught up, "slow down! Your body's still not completely recovered! You're barely holding together-"

"No!" she bellowed back as she tore off the head of the last Loki mech in the squad. Then, the sounds of an Atlas Heavy Mech from the next room broke them from their argument. Wilson dove for a pile of crates as Jacob joined him. Nora sped the other way as he tried to overload it shields, but they were too powerful as it was.

Obtaining Shepard as a target, it raised one of its arms and the gatling gun began to spin.

Nora growled like a wild animal as she charged instead of taking cover. She could see the angle the gun was going to fire and all probable trajectories, and the instant the stream of munitions sped at her, she adjusted slightly to make every shot miss her.

When she had reached the mech, it stopped firing and attempted to swipe her down with the other arm. However, it missed and she leaped upwards, swung herself on its arm, and onto its shoulders. Being unable to aim upward, Nora raised her hands high, gathered a significant amount of dark energy, then pierced her reconstructed and reinforced hands through the outer enamel and protective casing of the mech's neck.

When she got a good hold on the base of the head, she snarled loudly and started to pull upwards. Feeling the already intense strain, more orange tears began to open up on her arms, almost threatening to explode as they reached up to her shoulders and the top of her back. Nora threw her head back and with a primal roar, summoned the strength to literally rip the head of the heavy mech off and throw it away. She leaped forward and rolled to a kneeling position as the headless body of the mech tumbled to the ground and lay still. All the while, noticeable clouds of steam expelled from her mouth with each deep breath as the dark energy field around her body slowly dissipated along with her fatigue.

Both Wilson and Jacob's faces were masks of shock and horror as they wondered which to be more scared of; the mechs or Nora.

* * *

K: My goodness. It sounds like Cerberus did more than revive her.

J: Yeah. They improved her body. From what I understood, more than half of it was artificial when she woke up. She was ready to tear herself apart in the fight because she wasn't all there and aware of the strain she was placing on it.

K: There had to be experiences that go against this particular grain, otherwise you wouldn't be talking to me.

J: Yeah, well, like with the rest of the crew, Shepard went out of her way to earn our trust, despite the fact that a few of us were Cerberus. She needed us. She wanted us on her side. And she got it. *He begins to smile and look to the side* In more ways than one. *At this point, Ms. Ishikawa smiles back and waves at him*

* * *

"Hey, Shep- I mean, Commander!" Jacob called after her when she was on her way to the elevator. He gave her a quick salute and she returned it immediately, as old habits died hard.

"What's on your mind, Taylor?" she asked as she slowly clasped her hands behind her back. There was also the slightest hints of a Cheshire smile on her face.

"I know what you saw and what Kasumi said, however, I just wanted to say that-" he attempted to apologize before Nora interrupted him.

"Don't worry about it," she said calmly.

"Commander?"

"Taylor, we're not Alliance now. We're more or less mercenaries. While I can understand, and appreciate, your adherence to protocol, I'm not going to bust your ass for fraternizing with Kasumi."

She let go of her hands as she continued, "In fact, I'm glad you did. When she and I went to retrieve the objective from Donovan Hock, it hurt her a lot, the memories, I mean. By all rights, she could have easily left the Normandy without any of us knowing why. I wouldn't have blamed her. She's got some heavy baggage in there, something I understand all too well, but the fact of the matter is, you have qualities that kept her here. She's gotten better because of it. I can tell. What has really helped is you becoming the stable element she needs and wants. I won't tell you what to do Jacob, but all I will say is that if she's willing to put her trust in you, then all I would ask is that you do the same for her."

"Uh, commander, we both decided to give it a chance after she read me her haiku about me. I just wanted to ask you if we could stop by Nos Astra when we go to Illium next for our next shoreleave."

Nora blinked, realized that she had been caught off guard. When she had walked in on them with Kasumi sitting on Jacob's lap, in a warm embrace, she had assumed that they were dancing around the idea of a relationship. However, it seemed that she was not that great a judge of character on things like this.

"Um, sure."

"I want to thank you, though, Commander. You kept putting Kasumi and I together in missions on purpose, didn't you?"

"Well, yes. You two worked well together. With both of us using our biotics to draw fire, it'd allow Kasumi to whittle them down from behind," Nora said slightly shocked, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Regardless, Commander, thank you. It wasn't easy as I thought to let the whole deal with my father go, but you helped more than you'll ever realize," he said amid another salute before he turned around and went his way, which left Nora Shepard slightly stunned and silenced, which hardly ever happened.

* * *

J: It seemed like a complete one-eighty, but when she was able to get help from the on-ship psychologist, Kelly Chambers, she seemed to change for the better. She changed back into the person that became Humanity's first Spectre. She also became a friend that I'll always be grateful to.

**Youkaiko Ishikawa**: And because of her, we're getting married!

K: I... wait, what?

J: *he smiles* Jumping the gun a bit, aren't we?

Y: The ring I saw in your locker says otherwise! *she then embraces and kisses him* I knew putting on the Marilyn Monroe dress would do the trick!

(Author's note: Mr. Jacob Taylor and Ms. Youkaiko Ishikawa are, at the time of this writing, on their honeymoon in parts they refused to disclose. )


	8. Chapter 8

**Palaven**

EDI's synthetic voice announced from the ceiling as Khalisah and Varicia shuffled the admittedly tall piles of notes they had collected over the past few weeks, "We will be arriving on Palaven within the hour. Ms. al-Jilani, your request to meet with Executor Vakarian has been approved."

Khalisah let loose a sigh of relief. It was going to be like this with each former squadmate, because apparently, most of them decided on going their separate ways after the war. Just her luck they all wouldn't stay in one place.

From the records she had been able to obtain, Garrus had been made into a consultant the Primarch and most of the Heriarchy had referred to during the Reaper Wars. The weapons the Turians had developed had done most of the heavy lifting when it came to fighting against the Reapers themselves and it was because of their Ion Enhanced Thannix Cannons that had been responsible for turning the tide of the war.

"Will we be able to disembark? I'd like to get out for a while and into the sun for a bit," she asked the AI. While glad to be close to Varicia, it would have been nice to get out of the ship and onto solid ground, even for a little bit. They had declined getting out at Tuchaunka, given that the weather was still rather inhospitable, even during the reconstruction.

"I'm afraid not. Especially with no environmental suits for yourself, given the kind of solar radiation Palaven is exposed to on a daily basis." EDI responded mechanically.

Khalisah sighed and her shoulders drooped. Even with a reassuring stroke from Varicia, it didn't help the fact she had been cooped in such a confined space for almost a week. The quarian Hyperspace drives, while functional, were noticeably slower than the Mass Relays. Any of the Relays could transport any ship from one side of the galaxy to the next within a matter of hours. The Hyperspace Cores the Quarians had discovered took them at least half a month.

Still, the general consensus around the galaxy was that it was better to be slowed down slightly rather than be completely stuck and reliant on FTL drives that would take them years, if not decades to cover the same distance.

Somehow, galactic commerce had been able to resume and reconstruction was thankfully on its way, with Rannoch receiving the lion's share of the financial benefits.

"Well, I guess we'll be waiting here for him, then," she said with a despondent groan.

* * *

"al-Jilani. I remember hearing about you," Garrus said as he strode into the mess hall with another turian at his side.

"Let me guess," Khalisah said, aware that this was not going to be the last time she would hear of it, "it was all about my show, wasn't it?"

"Yes. It was kind of hard to miss your show when the Palaven Monitor made a daily habit of using your show as an example why humans couldn't be trusted," he said with what could have passed for a smirk.

"What?"

"The Monitor is run by people older than my father who took the Armistice of Shanxi harder than they should of. Said it was a blow to the pride of the Turian race," he said with folded arms.

Khalisah was stunned. She was aware that there was state run and private run news organizations throughout the Turian Empire, but never once did it occur to her that there was an alien equivalent to her own show.

The female turian with Garrus chuckled. "The fact that the Turians were not running the galaxy is a blow to their pride. It is best not to think too much of them, since few in the Imperial Senate even listened to them in the first place."

Both women turned to Garrus' companion, not having recognized her.

"Selia Decan," he said before she turned to him with the equivalent of a cocked eyebrow, "excuse me, General Selia Decan."

Her mandibles quivered with subtle delight. "Thank you, Executor Vakarian."

Khalisah and Varicia turned to each other, aware that there was probably something going on, but felt it better to leave alone for now.

"So, I heard you're writing a biography about Shepard? Well then," he said with a confident stride up to her and a flip of his collar, "it wouldn't do her justice if you didn't get the most important accounts from her most trusted battlefield compatriot."

"Anything, really. While it's focusing primarily on her, it wouldn't hurt to see the result of her influence on the people around her. I've been told that she can be quite a source of change in people." She said calmly, ignoring his attempts at being flashy.

"That is correct," the General answered, "in fact, that was one of the reasons why I submitted her name for consideration into the Spectres in the first place. "

All eyes turned to her and she looked rather surprised at their reaction. "What? Do you honestly believe that the application process was as quick and clearcut as most believe it to be? Don't be absurd."

"Oh, this should be interesting!" Varicia said as she started to prep the drone.

* * *

**General Selia Decan of the Turian Imperial Hierarchy**:

It is no secret that military officials in every Council race are given a charge to be on the lookout for potential candidates for the Spectre Agency. What I hope you'll scrape from the record is that military officials are told to specifically nominate candidate from other races not their own.

K: How long are candidates watched before they're allowed to get into consideration?

S: It's dependent upon each candidate. Some require more observation time than others for specific reasons. A potential candidate may show promise at first, however, most of the time, they tend to fail. If a potential candidate shows a penchant for survival and tactics with an emphasis on completion of the objective, then they are put forward. The Spectre Agency has no need for heroes.

K: I remember the outcry of Shepard's nomination when most of the Alliance wanted Jane Clark to be nominated.

S: There have been many Spectres who were picked over more obvious choices. I observed Clarke as well. While she is a fine soldier, and her exploits during the Skylian Blitz are not embellished, she did not possess the acumen required for a Spectre.

K: Was there any particular reason why?

S: Her loyalty to the Alliance and its standards, at least on the surface, was far too absolute. It also did not help that she was a sympathizer for Cerberus, even though she was not a member of the organization herself.

K: So, Clarke aside, what was the final determination for allowing Shepard to be considered?

S: Torfan.

* * *

Decan strode into her quarters, followed immediately by her servant. With her armaments placed away, she raised her arms and allowed her servant to slowly remove her armor and prepare a robe for the evening.

Another cycle, another round of young recruits either completely indifferent or completely obsessed with serving the Empire.

"Madam, your contemporaries in the Hierarchy are abuzz with reports coming from the Alliance," she said with trepidation as she placed the Colonel's armor into its cabinet.

"The Alliance? What happened? Usually, the Heirarchy's rather indifferent to their internal politics," she said as she stood still, waiting for robe.

Her servant quickly placed the feathery frock over her shoulders before she quickly went to the entrance and returned with the data pad. "There appeared to be a rather violent fracas between them and Batarian Raiders."

Decan snorted. Raiders were nothing more than Hagemony sanctioned thieves. The reason why no one took them seriously was because they always made sure to never touch any interests of the major Council races. Still, she took the data pad and thanked her servant, who took her leave, and reclined upon her bed.

When she began to read the report, she then began to see the reasons for the gossip. And despite the heated denial by her male contemporaries, it was gossip.

Nora Shepard. That named sounded familiar. Apparently, a Staff Lieutenant in what was supposed to be a Black Op to take down the Hagemony's piracy in what the humans called the Attican Traverse, had almost gone south.

However, her commanding officer had not only lost his nerve, but had attempted to desert. Shepard, apparently, took command and completed the mission. The numbers of soldiers lost were not of real significance; however, information of the methods got around and before long, there was a general outcry against the Alliance.

Images, taken from after the battle, showed Batarians with their eyes gouged out and their heads shot through, execution style. She raised an eyebrow. The Alliance always paraded its oft touted 'decency' whenever they made a show of their antics. Frankly, she was neither impressed, nor convinced.

Nora Shepard. Yes, she definitely heard that name before.

Considering the Batarians involved were slavers and raiders who had few scruples as to whom they could capture, torture, and sell in the Terminus, she wondered why people were making a larger ordeal out of this than it really was.

The next page answered her question. Ah yes, the News Medias of the Council Races. Citadel News, especially, was unrestrained in their accusations of utter slaughter of non-combatants. Nevermind the fact that Batarian Slavers and Raiders were often far better equipped than your standard Merc Gang. Having the unconditional support of the Hagemony allowed such excesses.

Her eyes narrowed. She then put the pad down and took her omni-tool into her hands and quickly made a discreet call. Soon enough, a familiar voice answered the other end.

"Yes, Colonel?"

"Vasir, Nora Shepard. Human in the Systems Alliance. Was that a name I put forth for observation?"

"Let me check." A short pause. "Yes. Why?"

"Well, I would like to offer my recommendation for serious consideration for her into the Agency."

Another pause. "Decan, I just checked, there was an altercation at Torfan involving her. Looks like she's shown herself to have a vicious streak. Any particular reason why?"

"The same reason why Arterius was nominated for the Spectres. Though, I still, to this day, wonder what fool nominated that vainglorious ass."

"Well, if she's anything like Arterius, I'm not touching her."

"That's fine. We'll get someone who's eager enough to train what could be the first human Spectre that doesn't seem to have the problems most Spectres have with humanity."

Yet, another pause. "Kryik. He seems to have a liking for human women. Which is odd, considering that Incident at Relay 314."

"He was just a boy when it happened, so, naturally, he was too young to care. And frankly, I wish more of our recruits took a similar stand, instead, we have either children forced into service out of social fear or zealots waiting to happen."

"My heart bleeds for you, Colonel."

"Of course it does, Vasir. Now then, I'll be sure and prepare an official dossier for the Council."

"But why her? Already, there's a pseudonym going around about her. Calling her 'the Butcher'. Doesn't sound like a good match."

"Because if she was a Butcher, like the news media believes she is, then I wouldn't have put her name forward. From what I've been able to find, she was placed in a situation where she had to act or she and all her men would have perished. She made the hard decision. If she can maintain that level of professionalism, then I will have been right about putting her name forward. Again."

"Just because you've picked out the last few Spectres doesn't mean you're on some kind of streak."

"To the contrary, I think it shows myself capable of sound judgment when it comes to Spectre candidates."

"Whatever works for you, Colonel. Vasir, out."

* * *

S: I am not one to brag or boast, however, I consider the fact to nominate this Nora Shepard to be the best thing that I've ever done. She was the right person at the right time. And we have all benefited from her expertise since then.

* * *

**Executor Garrus Vakarian**;

I admit to not being one to wax poetic, however, having the nerve to even ask Shepard to take me with her was probably one of the best things I ever did. Granted, it wasn't the smartest, because in retrospect, I probably would have stayed in my cushy job with C-Sec had I known what I was getting myself into.

K: What do you think you got yourself into when you were on the hunt for Saren? I mean, more than just following the hunt for Saren.

G: *A pause* I'll be honest. It was more selfish on my part. Some would say it was because I was merely jealous of Saren Arterius, but it was more than that. It seemed to be more personal than I realized at the time.

K: Can you elaborate or is it going into territory that's too personal?

G: Well, I hardly consider myself a special case. A lot of turian boys and their fathers often are at odds over one thing or another. I had a friend who wished to become a Shaman on the Spirits, despite his great potential as a career military man like his father. They never spoke to one another again.

K: Family matters?

G: Yes. The older I got, the more secretly resentful I became about my own people and the Empire. We're ingrained from childhood to show uncompromising loyalty to the State and for its people.

K: Despite the fact that you're the Executor of the Turian Empire.

G: Yes. War has a tendency to make you realize how the traditions you've lived by for thousands of years can be challenged when you face an enemy that doesn't exactly follow rules you're familiar with. In fact, it was when I had finally traced down a criminal during my C-Sec days did I realize that I wasn't entirely right about everything.

* * *

Garrus was livid. However, he was better at holding it in than most. Certainly better than that foul tempered Krogan Shepard had brought with her.

His talons flew over the panel of the Mako. The cannon was out of alignment and needed some serious calibrations. Yet, that didn't do much for him, since he was robbed of something he had been waiting for years to do.

He knew Saleon was guilty the minute they had met on the Citadel, however, there was always something in his way. There was always something that prevented him from dispensing justice the way he saw it. He did agree that there needed to be the rule of law, however, there was too often cases where criminals like Saleon would abuse it to their benefit and escape.

"Garrus. I want to talk to you," a familiar voice said from behind.

He turned and kept his mandibles from quivering too much to show his agitation. "Shepard."

"Garrus. You want to know why I took down Saleon, even knowing how much it meant for you to do it?" she had asked with her arms folded.

As irritated as he was, he had to think of a valid reason why. Shepard was smarter than that. And she saw a similar intelligence in him as well, that was why she brought him with him to find Saren.

He had nothing.

"Sorry, Shepard, but I'm at a loss, here," he admitted dourly.

"I can understand why you're mad, but, hear me out;" she said calmly, somehow aware that he was not happy with current events, "did you know for a fact that Saleon was going to react like he did?"

"I believe so," he said, yet, there was a hint of doubt in his voice.

"Turns out that you were right and when he resisted arrest, we had no choice but to kill him anyway. I would have rather turned him in and find out whom his clients were from him instead of having to hack his computers. However, there's one thing I would rather you have done yourself. Remember what happened after the scuffle?"

"I was... angry with you, Shepard. I'd rather you know that up front," he said, feeling a twinge of guilt in his voice, admitting that she had allowed him to accompany her on her search for Saren.

"Why is that?"

"I wanted to take him down. After all the things he did to those people, he deserved to die," he answered confidently.

"I can understand that. I suppose that makes it right for humans related to those who died at Shanxi to start killing turians, after all, it was the Heirarchy that killed their relatives back in the First Contact War," she said casually.

In shock, Garrus was about to respond rather heatedly, however, during their many discussions about Turian and Human customs, especially when it came to things such as debts, dues, and grudges, he realized what she meant and became silent.

"I suppose I overreacted a bit. I'm supposed to be C-Sec. I'm supposed to honor and sustain the law. Even if it doesn't immediately get me what I think is right," he said, almost feeling like he was a younger man, learning how to heft a sniper rifle once more.

Nora smiled. "My biotics teacher would often lecture me about self-mastery. I still have a ways to go, but I think I'm getting there. And let me know when you get there too, ok?"

Garrus chuckled a bit at the compliment. "You want the truth, Shepard? A lot of my kind don't say those kinds of things to me unless they're drunk. They think I'm too impatient, too eager to work outside the law to get results."

She nodded. "I can understand that. But just because there are laws that prevent you from getting what you think you need, doesn't mean you can't work within those laws. You've proven yourself pretty capable of that over the course of this mission. That's one of the reasons why I brought you with me."

"I have to say, Shepard. I didn't expect this at all when I came with you," he said as he took a look around the hangar. "I feel useful, I feel as though we're getting things done, in a small way."

"So, what happens when we find Saren, bring him to justice, and then all of us go our separate ways?"

Garrus took a long moment to think. However, he looked up and said, "try and work through the system to its best effect. It won't be instant, but the changes can happen. I know they can."

She nodded once more. "Well said, Mr. Vakarian."

* * *

K: How exactly did you see Shepard, since you brought this up?

G: Being the young and inexperienced officer that I was at the time, I arrogantly thought she and I were more or less equals. However, it soon became apparent that I had a lot to learn.

K: Can you elaborate on that?

G: *A pause* After Shepard died, I went to Omega and started a vigilante group against Mercs. Long story short; I, and my group, were betrayed. I wanted revenge.

* * *

"The hell are you doing Shepard?!" Garrus asked as she kicked Sidonis to the ground in the alley she had dragged him to. He had followed them quickly and she made no real effort to truly keep what they were about to do quiet.

"Isn't this what you want, Vakarian?" Nora growled as she tossed him a pistol and held her weight on the other turian.

Garrus caught the gun and then looked to Shepard, whose frown had only gotten deeper as she ordered him. "You have him! He's ready to die for what he's done. You've wanted revenge for your team, so, here it is! Take it!"

Garrus looked from the gun to the man who had allowed his team to perish. He was sickly, he was starving, and his eyes were sunken. It was almost as if he was already dead.

"Shoot him, Vakarian," Shepard ordered, "you'd be doing him a favor. At least his agony will be brief, unlike your team."

He locked eyes with Shepard. They were filled with the same hate he felt at the very thought of what Sidonis did. Yet, there was something else behind her gaze. She knew the raw rage he felt at the moment. It seemed she understood all too well what it was he felt.

Slowly, the gun unfurled and he slowly raised the barrel upward and slowly aimed it at Sidonis' head. If he noticed he was in danger, he made no motion to struggle or preserve his life. All he needed to do was pull the trigger and his men would be avenged. He just needed to pull the trigger. However, the barrel of the gun was starting to shake against his will and he soon understood why.

Already, Garrus had flashbacks of Saleon. It was that the same thing all over again, however, there was one significant difference. Saleon had no intention of stopping. When he had confronted the salarian on the Citadel, he was proud of his work. Of the profits he had been making at the expense of the innocent.

Garrus had him cornered once and was about to fire when he realized that if he did shoot Saleon without convincing evidence, he would be faced with severe disciplinary action for shooting him. But, he wasn't part of C-Sec anymore. He was a free agent. He was justice.

He lowered the gun and turned around.

"I hate you, Sidonis. Don't misunderstand me; I've waited months for this. And seeing you reduced to this pitiful pile of plates… it's not worth it," he grumbled before he left.

As he left the alley, he heard Shepard heft Sidonis to his feet and say, "go, Sidonis. As it is, you just got an undeserved stay of execution."

The turian began to panic when he realized that he was not going to die. "What should I do? I don't think I can ever make it right."

There was a pause before she answered him. "I don't know. Maybe you can't make it right, but be grateful you have the chance to find out. It's what's left of your life, after all."

Garrus said nothing as he strode back to the hovercar they had taken from the docking bay. He leaned over the top of it, lost in thought.

He should have shot him, but he didn't. Why?

The small voice that started to appear the more he and Shepard had spoken. It was that same voice that said what he didn't want to hear.

What he was about to do wasn't justice at all. He wanted to be the good guy. And what he was about to do was not what the good guys did.

He lowered his head before he felt Shepard's hand on his shoulder.

"Will you be alright?" Shepard asked quietly.

He took in and let out a deep breath. It would be a miracle if he would be able to let this go. "I hope so."

"Can I ask you something, Garrus?"

"Sure."

"Before we met again on Omega, did you really believe that hunting the merc gangs on Omega really did some lasting good?"

"I don't understand, Shepard."

"When I was at Aria's place, I met some young punk that wanted to join up with the other merc gangs to take you down. He couldn't have been older than sixteen. He had a gun that wasn't even worth the credits he paid for. No armor, no shields. Just the clothes on his back. I figured since you made the mercs mad enough to recruit cannon fodder, you must have been good. So, I stopped the kid. I broke his gun and told him to get his money back," she turned to him, "would you have shot that kid, regardless of whether he was trying to show how tough he was or if that was the only way he could afford to eat?"

Garrus couldn't find an answer to that question.

* * *

K: Whatever became of the person who betrayed you?

G: I don't know. However... I hope that wherever he is, he's not the person I left in that alley. For his sake, he better be. If it wasn't for Shepard, I probably would have made a mistake I would regret.

K: It must have been difficult.

G: Very. Maybe it was Shepard's trust in me that what made me decide to let it go. Either way, I owe her more than what I can ever hope to pay back.


	9. Chapter 9

**En route to Thessia**

Another week, another planet. With their business done on Palaven, they expected another quick jaunt to Thessia, which had been hit harder than most of the other homeworlds, save for Earth, and then eventually to Sur'Kesh.

"Jilani," Ashley said as she strode up to Khalisah and Varicia.

"Yes, Commander?" she said as she looked up from her notes.

"Change in plans. After we're done on Thessia, we're going to be heading straight back to Earth. I know you've wanted to find Shepard, and I've been putting inquires for you at every stop, but nothing has come back."

Khalisah's mood dampened and the prospect of returning to square one seemed more and more like a reality. At every planet, they had made inquiries and had questioned as much as they could with the contacts of their guests, however, it seemed as though Nora Shepard had completely vanished from the face of the galaxy.

"Well, thanks anyway for letting us come along. I know it must not have been easy to let a civvie on the Normandy," she said in hopes of showcasing her gratitude.

"Don't worry about it. You've behaved and from what I've been able to tell, you're on the level. I don't see any reason to put you in the brig."

"That's a relief."

"Though, you may want to reconsider. When I made a general inquiry about Shepard, I got a message back from someone well connected to her."

"Who?"

"Her biotics teacher. The meanest, most foul-tempered asari this side of the galactic core."

"Oh, you mean Maleia N'Kona? Oh no."

The infamous asari Master Commando had proven herself repeatedly during the war, as she, along with a several others like herself, had been responsible for saving a good portion of Thessia's population from the Reapers when they had hit.

"What did she say?"

"She wants to talk to you. Didn't say anything about what. She just said, 'I want to talk to her'. I met her once during the war, if you have a bad opinion of her now, it'll only get worse."

"Of course," Khalisah groaned. She wouldn't able to avoid this interview, if it was going to be one. Worried for her beloved, Varicia held Khalisah close. Even though she stood no real chance against a Master Commando, she would do all she could to ensure Khalisah's safety.

* * *

**Thessia**

Through the rubble and wreckage of Armali, Khalisah and Varicia had made their way through several refugee camps, each one slowly building themselves up from the wreckage into self-sustaining groups. Most of them were in the remains of towns and cities and foraging had enabled them to survive long enough before offworld assistance would have arrived.

Looking through the dishelved, dirtied, and in some cases, scarred faces of the asari, Varicia recognized a face at last.

"Madam Aethyta!" Varicia exclaimed as they entered the thoroughfare.

The Matriarch in question looked up from a data pad she was reading and gave her acolyte a small smile. "How are you, babe?"

"Wonderful. Khalisah and I have been going through a lot on a project she's been working on. It's been an amazing experience!" she responded excitedly.

Aethyta turned from Varicia to Khalisah and gave her a half-hearted wave. "Hey. How ya been?"

Khalisah, grateful that Aethyta was in a better mood when last they met, nodded cordially. "Fine. Not doing too bad, all things considered."

She nodded, took a glance at Varicia and said, "Say, could you check with Aleria, Nuseen, and Xylis in the central square? I need to find out what else we need and they're in charge of getting stuff for us at the moment."

The matron nodded eagerly, then went on her way. With Varicia gone, Aethyta turned to Khalisah and said, "I wanted her gone because I didn't want to her to hear what I'm about to say to you; Jilani."

"What's that?" she asked in response, unsure where this was going.

"I overreacted to what your friend did back in the day and I'm sorry," she said quickly and with noticeable difficulty.

Khalisah was taken aback at the apology that came out of nowhere. Matriarchs, even ones as notorious as Aethyta, never apologized.

"Don't let it go to your head, kid. I only did it here and now because Vari," she inclined her head towards the direction where Varicia had left, "would have loved to hear me say it out loud and would never let me hear the end of it, but that's not going to happen. Not yet anyway. So, don't go telling her I did it, I'll deny it!"

As much as Khalisah loved Varicia, she couldn't help but understand the reason why as she nodded. "Not a word. Besides, I want to see what happens when you confess it yourself."

"Not gonna happen."

* * *

K: Being one of the surviving Matriarchs of Thessia and being the asari liaison for the Grand Allied Fleet against the Reapers, surely you must have had some opinion about Shepard.

A: *Sighs* I'll be honest with ya. I didn't like her at first. That deal about Torfan? Sure, it was nice to hear her kicking ass and everything, but the more I heard about her, the more worried I got. Was almost ready to kill her myself when I heard what happened to Nezzie if she hadn't gotten killed herself.

K: Nezzie?

A: *Sighs again* Matriarch Benezia. If any of the Matriarchs from High Command were still around, they'd deny that Nezzie and I were together for a while. For 'Political Reasons'.

K: But what about the Indoctrination?

A: I didn't find out about that until after the first of those nasty machines attacked the Citadel. It was hard for me to swallow at first, however, after seeing what Liara had to go through, I couldn't go through with it. Was a real kick in the quad when I got into the details about the Reapers. Shepard was an easy thing to hate because she was there and just a human.

K: Did that ever change?

A: Yeah. It was in the early part of the war we had a chance to talk.

* * *

"You're Shepard, right?" the older asari said as she poured a shot of a concoction with colors that did not exist in nature.

"Hello, Matriarch," Nora said as she leaned on the top of the table. "Been a while since we talked last. Last time I saw you, you were working in a bar on Illium."

The Matriarch nodded and placed the drink on the counter in front of Shepard. "Yeah. However, with the Reapers making all the noise they have been, decided to hit the road and go somewhere safe. Took as much booze with me as I could and opened up a little shop here."

Nora took a glance at the drink, then back to the bartender. "That'd be quite a coincidence if that were true. Nowhere's safe. In case you didn't know, the Reapers are going to wipe the entire galaxy clean and make sure that nothing's left. No, I got a hunch that your reasons for coming here are a bit more personal."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, may have something to do with another asari here on the Citadel. And not just any asari," Nora said as she inclined her head to the café just across the way, "it has to do with a certain maiden you were watching on Illium for two years when she set up shop there."

Aethyta frowned and she folded her arms. "It's none of your business what I do, kid."

"It's my business when you're spying on my friend," Nora shot back in a subdued voice.

The Matriarch smirked with the kind of smile that enjoyed, and found, a challenge. "You're not the only one with sources, kid. I have it on good authority that your XO is in a relationship with a certain someone on your ship." Her gaze turned hard as she stared directly into Nora's eyes and dared her to blink, "a certain someone who used to work for Cerberus."

Nora twitched; however, she did nothing more and instead matched the glare Aethyta gave her as she slowly pushed back the drink. "Sometimes, employers and their employees don't see eye to eye. Or, maybe theirs was an agreement that came to a quick and less than cordial end."

At this point in time, she had been hunting the Illusive Man, who had been searching for a mysterious device that could, if the rumors were true, control the Reapers. Shepard was going to make sure they failed.

Aethyta's frown grew when she saw the glass pushed back. However, her tone didn't lose the intensity, nor did her glare lose its potency.

"I know. And consider yourself lucky you aren't," she said as she started to lean forward, "because if you still were, you wouldn't be standing here talking. You'd be dead again before you even think about getting within a light year of Liara."

"Is that a threat?" Nora growled at the back of her throat.

"I'm no Commando, kid. However, when you've lived as long as I have, you learn every dirty trick in the book to survive and off people," she leaned in closer, "even human marines. Bottom line; *no one* hurts my little girl and gets away with it."

* * *

K: Wait, wait, wait! You're Liara T'Soni's other parent?

A: Yeah. And?

K: …nevermind. Continue please.

* * *

Shepard leaned on top of the counter, her eyes steady and her posture aggressive. "Funny. If you wanted to off me, you'd have taken me to the back where no one would have seen it happen. I know how you asari work. You're far more subtle when it comes to killing people than the Salarians are. You're good at keeping the veneer of civility when you're just as nasty as the rest of us."

The glare faded and a smirk took its place. "Good to see N'Kona's pride and joy hasn't lost her edge."

Nora paused at the mention of her biotics teacher. "What?"

"The girl's one of the best Commandos on Thessia because I taught her everything both my parents taught me about fighting. The rest of them are too tied to the 'ancient traditions' or some other shit to even think about the possibility that people wouldn't think twice about fighting dirty," the Matriarch noted with a hint of pride.

"Anyway," she continued as she placed the drink away and started to wipe the counter down, "there's a reason why I had to be there on Illium. If I didn't, then..." she took a deep breath, uncomfortable with the very thought of what she was to say next, "for all I know, when you take into account Benezia, that whole business with the Reapers, and the fact she's a notorious info broker... there's a chance High Command would have ordered a hit-"

Shepard's hand shot out and grabbed the scruff of Aethyta's collar and almost yanked her over the counter as she snarled in the Matriarch's face, "if they dared do that, I would make them wish the Reapers hit Thessia first and hardest! No one messes with my girl!"

Aethyta, in retaliation, grabbed the scruff of Shepard's uniform, and both had their biotics flaring and doubled the intensity of Nora's anger as she matched Nora's snarl. For a moment, it looked like there was going to be a brawl with Aethyta smearing Nora across the ground, however, Aethyta snorted amusedly and gently let go of her.

In surprise, Nora followed suit and took a step back.

"Good. Looks like I was wrong and you do have a quad. Maybe I can worry a bit less now."

Nora adjusted her uniform and nodded. "Glad to hear."

"Though, there is one more thing," she said with her arms folded.

"What's that?"

Before Nora could react, Aethyta had tripped her in a singularity field, picked her up, and dumped her on the ground when the field dissipated. As Shepard attempted to get up, the Matriarch put her boot on Nora's back. "Don't touch the dress again, kid. It's vintage."

Nora tossed one last glare back at the Matriarch. Now she understood where Maleia got some of her more 'charming' qualities from.

* * *

K: Well, it's good to know that you were able to get along.

A: Babe, you don't know the half of it.

* * *

Aethyta felt like a maiden again. In fact, she threw her arms up and screamed as loudly as she could as she and Nora tumbled down the chute and into the armory.

Just as planned. According to Aethyta.

The infiltration to that Cerberus Outpost had gone off without a hitch and now, Aethyta felt the time for subtlety was over and it was time to, to quote her father (after the translations), fuck their shit up.

Nora, who was more keen to the idea of simply placing the charges in the reactor core after obtaining the the vital data for Reaper movements in that part of the galaxy, and getting out of there like a bat out of hell, wanted to convince the Matriarch that considering it was just them two, and dear Grunt was enjoying himself too much with his newly formed Aralakh company to provide both a distraction and extraction for them.

"Come on, babe! There's no point to fighting if you're not having fun!" she said as she tore through the crates as though she were a Maiden on her fiftieth birthday. That was usually the occasion when their mothers would prepare them a care package, get some recommendations ready, then kick them out the door until they were at least 'two cents'.

For Aethyta, however, hers was a Maidenhood that was shut cut shorter than she would have liked. She loved her parents dearly, but she still felt slightly bitter over the fact they left her orphaned at the tender age of thirty seven. So, she made the best of it by causing as much trouble as she could for every merc group she could find, since they were often a source of consternation for more stable colonies.

The prospect of using an enemy's weapon against them never seemed to lose its charm. Especially for a well-funded and developed group like Cerberus.

Her eyes widened when her eyes fell upon the most beautiful gatling gun she had ever laid eyes on.

It was the latest from Haribon Military Industries and they were just as xenophobic and prejudiced as Cerberus was. They made sure that the weapons they produced would cause as much damage as quickly, as painfully, and as mercilessly as possible. Especially against aliens.

Despite weighing one-hundred and fifty kilograms, she sported two hundred credit, custom-tooled miniature barrels which fired munitions at ten thousand rounds per minute. It cost over four hundred thousand credits to fire this weapon... for twelve seconds. At least, before a Heat Sink Clip needed to be applied.

Simply designed, but sleek, it was meant for specific, Cerberus aligned Colonies in the Terminus to use against hostile invaders and especially aliens. Too bad for them, Aethyta yanked that baby out of it crate and had to stop smiling for a moment because of how much her face began to hurt from the grin.

"You serious?" Nora asked with a cocked eyebrow. She herself preferred close ranged combat and use of her biotics. If pressured, she'd use a sniper rifle, but would have rather let the sharp shooters take that honor.

Aethyta gave her a smile that was nothing short of jovial as she hefted the gun as though it weighed a fraction of her weight over her shoulder, then picked up some heat sinks for the inevitable fight to escape.

"Babe, you've got to know me long enough to know when I am and when I'm not," she said before jamming a heat sink in the empty slot.

Knowing she would be unable to talk her out of it, Nora resigned herself to the fact she was going to be taking point and providing cover.

The Matriarch strode over to the large doorway, which led to the hangar, and hit the switch. "Incoming, you little piles of shit!"

Shepard jammed a few calorie caps in her mouth, no doubt this was going to drain her like nothing else, and quickly took her place beside the Matriarch. She swung her arms around her torso, then flung them out, creating a barrier that would give them some protection as they hit them from behind. Or at least, Nora hoped.

When the doors lifted, a squad of Cerberus soldiers, with their guns raised and ready to fire, paused at the grinning Aethyta, with her gun spinning and opening up with a unstoppable stream of shots that mowed them down. The Matriarch whooped and hollered as she could only described living and fighting the kind of fights during her Maiden days. What she would give to relive them again with the kind of toys she had now.

At the front of the hangar, the rest of the Cerberus troops paused and turned as they suddenly found themselves surrounded and out-gunned. However, due to their newly enhanced 'training' they would rather die than surrender.

Neither Aethyta nor Aralakh Company had a problem with that.

With the last of the Cerberus troops routed, Grunt strode forward to Nora and Aethyta with a smile on his face to rival Aethyta.

"Battlemaster! Victory is ours!" he said as if he was ready to bounce off the walls. He and his Company had proven themselves repeatedly and news of their exploits that seemed to defy death on a daily basis only seemed to spread.

Shepard found it hard to resist the enthusiasm he displayed as she smiled herself. "Well done, Grunt. I'm very proud of you."

Grunt chuckled deeply, then punched his open palm. "Thank you, Battlemaster."

"So, this is your boy, huh?" Aethyta said with an appraising look up and down the leader of their extraction.

"And who are you?" Grunt said, only told that Shepard and an accomplice would need their help. There was nothing said about it being an asari Matriarch.

The asari said nothing as she looked from him to Nora and back to him again. That was until a smirk crossed her face. "Your grandma."

Grunt was surprised and caught off gurad. Nora was not and frowned in response. "Stop that!"

"Don't see why I'm not. I mean, after all the times I heard you and Liara-" she said before she went into detail about hers and her daughter personal lives, Nora raised her hand.

"Fine! Just let me tell him about it! He's my boy, after all." While Nora was not expecting to become a surrogate parent so soon, she did her best to be a good example for the tank-bred Krogan.

Grunt, while aware of the technical aspects of what his newly appointed Grandmother was speaking of, was still excited at the prospect of being taught by his Battlemaster.

For a long moment, the asari and the krogan locked gazes for a long moment, as if judging the other was ready to fight them as is. "You got good eyes, kid," Aethyta said as she started to move past him, "don't lose them."

"I won't," Grunt said with a grin. He could tell. There was krogan blood in this one. She had the strength to be admired. She was beaten, but never broken. A part of him was in awe as the rest of Aralakh made way for the asari that carried a gatling gun almost her size as if it were nothing.

"Battlemaster, I hope we fight alongside her again."

"Don't worry, Grunt. You'll get your chance," she said with a sigh and a pat on her boy's shoulder.

* * *

A: She and I may not have been the best of friends, however, when things went tits up, you could count on her. That's why I'm glad she was around. It's why I'm glad she's with my little girl. Now, I'm torn as to whether Liara's ready to give me those grandkids to spoil or have her wait until she's a matron. Either way, I hope I live long enough to see them.

K: Thank you for your time, Matriarch Aethyta.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thessia**

"So, you're the reporter that was bothering Shepard all those years ago, hm?" Maleia said as she took a seat beside Khalisah. She wasn't alone, another one, a Matriarch by the looks of it, stood calmly at her side.

Khalisah growled and held her head with her hands. "Do I just have this sign over my head that says, 'Hello! I'm the bitch that deserves to be punched because I don't kiss the feet of Commander 'Mary Fucking Sue' Shepard, every time her name gets dropped!'?!"

The asari blinked and then answered, "not that I can see. In fact, I'm glad you do. The amount of praise my student gets is getting kind of sickening."

Khalisah paused. "What?"

"The prestigue she is given is not entirely unwarranted," the Matriarch with her said.

The Commando leaned back against the bench and smiled. "Maleia N'Kona. I was Shepard's teacher. If you need any sort of reality dose to counteract all the ass kissing, I can tell you plenty. This is Samara; a Justicar. Even with the shattering of the Athame religion, they're still a force to be reckoned with."

The smile on the asari's face worried her a bit. However, it had that quality of a child who knew a dirty secret and was itching to tell someone. Samara, on the other hand, seemed as serene as a statue and that unnerved her more than Maleia's smirk did.

* * *

**Maleia N'Kona: Asari Master Commando and Biotics Teacher: **Frankly, I don't understand, or care, why you want to put so much emphasis on one of my former biotic students. You could ask her yourself and she'd repeat what I'm about to say; she's nothing special. She knows this. She's a nameless, faceless street rat that made it out alive. And that's why I'm glad she was my student. And the fact that she was named a Spectre says something too.

It's her actions that separate her from the masses comprised of shit spewing nobodies. Why the rest of the galaxy insists that she's something special I'll never understand.

K: You were, if I recall right, a member of the Spectres not long before Shepard herself became one. Since you have that perspective, what can you tell us about Shepard and Saren Arterius, the turian who had been working for the Reapers?

M: During my time with the Spectres, I met Saren Arterius a few times when he was still new. Thankfully, I didn't have the dubious honor of training the egotistical little shit. Tela Vasir got that job, since he was the Heirarchy's precious golden boy and Vasir was one of the best Spectres at the time. But you could tell; Saren was livid at the news that another human was being considered for the Spectre Agency. That ass could go on for days about how primitive, backward, violent, and so on about how humans were. Nevermind the fact that all of our races have a nasty streak in them.

K: Since you knew him, indirectly, did it surprise you to see him come to that end?

M: Honestly? Most of the Agency was suspicious of him for the longest time. He wouldn't report in. He would be away from the Citadel for weeks, even months, at a stretch. And no one could get him to open up, because apparently, his time was too important for the rest of us. Bastard. His investments in Binary Helix. Indulging in secrets that went just outside Agency jurisdiction. I had been out of the Agency for a few decades when I got word that Nihius was dead. At first, most of us didn't think much of it. However, the implication that Saren was responsible got all of us to take notice. Even without any proof, the very idea that Saren would murder another Spectre, in light of his recent behavior gave a lot of present and even former Spectres something to think about.

In a way, I wasn't surprised when I heard he went rogue. The little bastard always felt he could do it better. So, it wasn't much of a surprise when I read Shepard's report about him being indoctrinated and trying to sell us out to the Reapers. What I find hilarious was that he was arrogant enough to think he could convince Shepard that it was stupid to fight them. And look where we are now? Little bastard deserves whatever hell he's in now. I saw the footage of them fighting in the Council rooms when Sovereign attacked. You want to know why I feel she deserves being a Spectre? That's why.

* * *

The ozone from the fires were beginning to darken the chambers as Shepard, Wrex, and Ashley took cover from Saren's relentless assault.

When Saren informed Nora of Sovereign's improvement, all three of them looked to each other, the same thoughts going through their heads. The fool was completely indoctrinated.

However, when Saren excused himself, believing that he had no choice, both Wrex and Ashley looked to Shepard as she began to laugh. Even Saren paused when Nora's laugh began to echo through the chambers and over the roar of the fire.

When the laughter died down, Shepard stood up, locked eyes with Saren and growled, "You deluded piece of shit! You really think you can convince the Reapers that you're worth keeping? I met Sovereign on Virmire. I already know what he is. In case you forgot, the prey does not bargain with the predator! You may have given up, but I haven't. I won't and I never will. I'm going to live to see the Reapers die and if you want to throw in your lot with them, I'm going to kill you first and they'll be next!"

Her defiance and the fire in her eyes, reflected off of the devastation around him gave Saren that single moment of clarity of where he had gone wrong.

"I see," he said calmly, before taking out his pistol. "Thank you, Shepard," he then raised the barrel to poke underneath his own jaw, "and good bye." He pulled the trigger and subsequently fell to the Council Chamber gardens.

* * *

M: Of course, the Hierarchy, at that point, wasn't all that happy with the idea of their golden boy being smeared with the truth. So, naturally, they hired movie makers to make him look to be the victim, while making Shepard out to be some delusional Council shill that people would never listen to. Pretty funny how the Reaper War pretty much not only destroyed the ideas of that 'documentary' but also the careers of everyone involved.

K: And how about yourself and Shepard? You were her biotics teach after all.

M: If you must know, she was a member of my _T'Cra_. Being unable to bear or sire children myself, I wasn't all that interested in bonding or melding. So, any accusations of infidelity on Shepard's part are pretty baseless. Besides, I could already tell she was pretty messed up inside, even when I was her teacher. Being intimate with her only verified it.

* * *

Maleia was always grateful for the occasions when Shepard was on shore leave. Her promotions from a few months ago had given her some much needed leeway and as a result, it had allowed them some time to be discussed less as students and closer to equals.

Well, that wasn't entirely true, however, Maleia liked Nora enough that the struggle for dominance during sex always made it exciting. She had the experience and Nora had the energy. She recalled a few turian associates of her bragging about 'reach' and 'flexibility' and held back a snort. They always seemed to brag about it, but when push came to shove, they were more talk than action.

She also could not fathom how humans would consider Shepard being in her _T'Cra_ to be a bad thing. In asari culture, Teachers and Students who worked well with each other would often do even better in such a relationship. It didn't mean that she fooled around like those stupid maiden strippers or sex workers. Many maidens would have killed to be in the relationship she was with Shepard. The human could benefit from her knowledge and experience and she would benefit by having intimacy with someone she felt she could trust.

Despite others species' overly conservative view on it, or even the more 'refined' members of asari society were concerned, it was sacred. The trust and intimacy involved were central tenants of the _T'Cra _in the Doctrines of Atheme. She preferred to downplay her devotion to the dying religion, since it was her own choice and be damned if some Siarist were to give her a hard time about it.

With a small smile, she looked over to the side of her bed to see Nora still sleeping peacefully, bereft of clothing. Thankfully, she slept on her side and that left her muscular back exposed. Maleia liked that about humans. When they took care of themselves physically and mentally, it was no wonder her people took to them so eagerly.

She rolled slowly over to Nora, and with her right hand, started to stroke her way down Nora's exposed hip.

Nora took a deep and satisfied breath as her eyes fluttered open.

"You like what you see?" she mumbled tiredly.

Maleia smirked and leaned inward to her neck and kissed the back of it. "Maybe. I still have my reservations."

Shepard chuckled and looked back to her with a confident stare that matched Maleia's own. "And here I thought you didn't like smelly, ugly humans."

The asari responded by taking the same hand and slowly moving it up and down Nora's torso. "I still don't. However, there always happens to be exceptions to the rule. And I don't care how hypocritical it sounds."

Nora chuckled, "I always thought you were the hardest on me because you hated me. Yet, it seems that I was wrong, you wanted to get into my pants the whole time."

Maleia gave a small snort as she held Nora closer. "Don't flatter yourself. I have my own reasons. The same reasons why you don't want any of my kind swimming in that head of yours."

The subject had been brought up before. Thankfully, those boundaries were respected and it would remain that way. "Fair enough."

"Besides, things like that get in the way of me noticing a few details and figuring out why my kind likes yours so much," the asari continued as intertwined her hands with Nora's.

Shepard gave a small, hearty laugh, "and what would that be?"

"Well, the fingers for one. General body shape and size. Though, I still can't fathom the hair all over your body, kind of unsettling, really. But, in your case, it's a nice addition."

Nora laughter got a bit bolder as she turned around and faced Maleia, "you'd rather I shave myself all over?"

"Pfft. Don't be stupid. If I wanted an asari in my _T'Cra_, I'd get a damn asari," she said as she reached up and let her fingers relish the softness of Nora's hair for one of the few times she allowed it to grow long. "That's one reason. Though, I know some of my kind don't mind human males, but they're far too... uncanny for my tastes. It's like, humanity was supposed to start with what you call female, but then something happened and you got a second gender out of nowhere."

That was when Nora lost it and she started to laugh to the point where she curled up, failing to hold in her amusement. "You do realize it's because of that second gender that I'm here, right?"

"Minor details," she said, indifferent to the implications.

That was when Nora took the initiative, rolled on top of Maleia, and pinned her to the bed. "You're such a bitch, you know that?" she said with a smirk.

Maleia smiled with her teeth bared, ready for another round, "if you're really that eager, Nora Shepard, you're going to do more than try and sweet talk me."

* * *

K: So, since you were involved with Shepard for a time, did that last when she and Liara T'Soni became an item?

M: Not really. We both agreed that any possibility of a relationship was doomed to fail considering our responsibilities. It was probably for the best. *Smiles* Besides, if Liara T'soni was able to meld with her then she was able to make her open up. Good on her. So, in spite of all the stupid things my student was and has done, I'm proud of what she's accomplished. Bear in mind, Tiny, if you're reading this, that's the only time you'll hear me say that!

* * *

K: Thank you for your time, Justicar.

**Justicart Samara**: It is no bother.

K: Firstly, you were registered as someone who assisted her during her campaign against the Collectors. Was there any events of note that you feel colored your opinion?

S: During our initial encounter, we held differing views, however, I made my oaths and I would keep them. Despite her vocal objections about my adherence to the code, she never acted upon it. However, there was an occasion where I required her help. I was chasing a dangerous criminal from asari space and our differences came to a head.

* * *

"You can't be serious," Nora said as Samara had informed her of the identity of whom the target was. "She's your daughter?!"

"Was my daughter. The asari I am hunting has no right to be called such," Samara said without missing a beat.

Shepard took several steps around, clearly conflicted as to how to proceed. She needed Samara's help, badly. She had seen the Justicar's skill on the battlefield and it couldn't be denied. However, the fact she was more or less asking her to commit murder on her daughter threw her off balance.

When she turned back to the asari, her frown grew.

It had been a mistake when she had learned about Samara's past. The fact she had abandoned two of her daughters into a monastery where they would live in isolation for the rest of their lives and now hunting the third as though she were a wild animal.

Now, all their conversations about Samara's black and white code in a galaxy of grey seemed to paint the idea that bringing the Justicar was a bad idea. In fact, Shepard was beginning to actively wonder if she would hunt her after her oath was completed.

However, right now, she needed a powerful ally. And it wouldn't be the first time she had to kiss the ass of someone she hated in order to get to where she needed. Too bad Samara never seemed to be aware, and even if that were the case she wouldn't are, that life wasn't as simple as she thought it would be.

It seemed this was going to be yet another instance of her having to swallow her pride.

"Fine, I'll do it," she said with noticeable difficulty.

"I am aware of your criticisms, Shepard. However, I am more grateful that you have chosen to assist me in this endeavor in spite of them," she responded calmly as if the argument they had never existed. Granted, it was more of a one-sided argument, since it seemed Shepard was the only one that was showing any excess emotion.

* * *

Dressed in a simple violet tank top, a leather jacket, and worn jeans, with the leather boots, she strode into the lower levels of the club where the asari in question was known to hang out.

A few conversations, a few drinks to liven the mood for the rest of the patrons, an investigative journalist subtly removed from danger, and a turian that needed to take a hint later; Nora was already exhausted. Morinth was supposed to be here.

She had looked all over, trying her best to keep her activities downwind of the attention. However, there was a chance Samara's intel could have been wrong.

The clink of a glass on the counter brought her out of her thoughts when the bartender inclined his head across the floor.

"Compliments from the asari over there," he said calmly before returning to the additional drinks he was now selling.

Tentatively, she took the glass and turned to the general direction the bartender had indicated.

Sure enough, there in one of the darker corners of the establishment, a single asari, clad in body conforming leather, watched her with a smile.

Curious, Nora took the drink and quietly made her way through the crowds and the noise to join the mysterious individual who had paid for a beverage she couldn't really drink, due to her biotic metabolism. However, she knew how to keep the appearance of being at a party where alcohol was passed around and still join in the festivities.

So, she gave the asari a smile and a nod. "Thank you."

She nodded in turn then inclined her head to the seat across from her. "Have a seat."

When Nora did, it only dawned on her how eerily familiar her face was. In fact, under the right circumstances, she could easily pass for Samara. Naturally, she kept this to herself as she and what could easily have been the one called Morinth began to speak in idle matters.

She knew how to kiss up to people and when to back off, she had to. That was how she survived on the streets when she was a kid. And it was then she realized that she and Morinth were more alike, in a way, than she wanted to admit. Both were on the edge of society. Both hated for reasons beyond their control. And on the other side of the coin, Samara and the law of Old Los Angeles being one in the same; without pity or mercy for the rejects and deviants like herself.

That was then Morinth inclined her head slightly, curious at the almost distant look Nora had. "Is there something wrong?"

She looked to the asari and took a deep breath. What she was doing was dangerous, but she was too tired and too angry with Samara to care. She'd be dead soon enough anyway.

"You mentioned how people feel safe, but it's just an illusion. I know it's not safe. It never was. And it makes me angry," Nora said as she leaned forward and placed her glass on the table. "You give and ask for so little in hopes for some acknowledgement. However, little is apparently too much for some people."

Images of both Samara's complete indifference and Liara's cold reluctance to come with her seemed to stir the pot.

"It's because they don't want to give up what they have," Morinth said calmly, as if she had been down that road far too many times. Inwardly, she was smiling. Soldiers, especially ones that reeked of bitterness and rage, were far more fun to break. Not mercs. Mercs enjoyed the baser aspects of their work. Soldiers did it because it was their duty and their personal desires were always pushed aside for some reason or another.

What made it fun for was gently pulling at that lever to increase the pressure.

"If they did, then, they would be like you are. They don't want to be like you, because it satisfies their pride and their delusions of safety," Morinth said smoothly.

Shepard looked up to her. "What?"

"It's true. You and I are what they don't want to be, because they possess. They have something we both want and they know it. They know you have nothing and you want it."

A frown crossed Nora's face as she returned to the sight of her drink and the images that only seemed to stoke the fires of her anger. All of the politicos, the so-called romances, and the armchair generals who had no idea what it was like for her.

"So," Nora continued for her, "they fear us because they know that our need for what they have makes us strong. Our limitations give us power."

Morinth's smile grew as she nodded. "We're not content with 'nothing'. There is nothing wrong with wanting something better for us and we hate them for denying that which we want."

Nora's eyes returned to the glass as her grip tightened. "They fear. They fear us because they know we would take from them."

The smile faded from Morinth's lips as she continued to tug just a bit more. "But even when you take it, there is weakness in it. Because you know that once you have it, there'll be others who will want to take it from you. There always seems to be people who want to take what's yours. How dare they..."

A snarl developed on Shepard's face as her grip started to develop cracks in the glass. "I earned this! It's mine! I worked for what I have! I paid my dues!" Immediately, her mission was forgotten and all there was left was her anger.

"Of course you do. Never before did you need to justify yourself and what you earned before. It is yours, after all."

Nora's breathing settled a bit when she noticed what she was about to do. "Then things change. You fight it all you want, but it changes regardless. Especially how you see them."

"The ones that want what you have?" Morinth inquired innocently; well aware that she had to keep herself from licking her lips at the prospect of a full meal from this one.

"Yes," she began as she stared into the darkness around her. "Like animals. They become what you once were. Desperate. Justified. Angry. So, there's only one thing you need to do to make sure that what is yours stays that way."

"Let them know that you need, no, must become hard to keep what is yours."

"Cruelty's just one end. I've used it to send a message. Leaving a few bodies near the turf of your enemies to let them know that you mean business. There's no law, no innocents, no police to protect you once I get my hands on you."

Taking a gamble, Morinth gently moved from her sofa to sit right beside Nora, who remained still as she moved up beside her and whispered, "you want them to provoke you. Show them that you 'mean business'. Gives you a reason to kill them without mercy and without remorse."

Immediately, that same sick thrill she always experienced whenever someone she hated die, tickled its way up her back. She let loose a long and deep breath, holding back the moan that the bloodlust that haunted her since her days on the streets which kept her alive.

She looked to her right to see Morinth near her, smiling seductively, letting her fingers stroke the back of one of Shepard's hands. The desire in her eyes was unmistakable. Nora then turned her hand upward and took her hand in hers.

"You want out of here?" Nora asked with a small smirk of her own developing.

"I was hoping you'd ask," she answered with her most charming smile.

* * *

In a half-dressed state, Nora dove out of the way as the biotics of both asari left the apartment Morinth had in ruins.

The window had multiple cracks in it, the furniture was in shambles, and debris of all shapes and sizes littered the floor.

She watched in rapt fascination as both Justicar and Ardat-Yakshi fought desperately for supremacy. In fact, it appeared that despite her lack of experience, Morinth was every bit the equal of her mother in regards to her power. The line of thought was interrupted when both came to a stalemate in a maelstrom of dark energy between them and neither seemed to be able to budge from their position.

"Whoever you are, spare me and I'll serve you! I'm every bit as powerful as she is. And I will never *judge* you for what you are!" she hissed in hatred at Samara's direction.

Nora stood up and realized that Morinth was right. Samara may have gone on and on about her code, but she knew she was judging her because the rest of the galaxy didn't follow her narrow perspective. She stepped forward and for a moment, she and Samara locked eyes with one another. It was if she knew the struggle going on inside of Shepard and whether she were to live or die, she would maintain her calm.

"I..." Nora began, when immediately, images of Nora, the Real Nora, looked to her from the past.

Her teeth bared and her hands clenched, she roared, "I AM NOT AN ANIMAL!"

Her fist collided with Morinth's face and it sent her sprawling to the ground. Nora's breath came quickly and her heart beat faster as if it were ready to burst. She looked to Morinth's face, with the bloodied nose, and realized that if she had chosen her, then she would have just used her up and tossed her aside like all her other victims. She then turned to Samara and growled, "Finish her off! I'm sick of looking at it!"

* * *

K: Wow. So, Shepard really allowed herself to be bait for this murderer?

S: Correct. The list of her victims were long and probably untraceable. At the cost of her own personal safety, she was able to help avenge the victims and give peace to their families.

K: And what about Shepard herself?

S: Her burdens were heavy ones. Thankfully, a moment of clarity spared more than she'll ever know.

* * *

Samara's breathing remained steady and unchanging when she heard the slow and heavy footsteps of Shepard as she took a seat on the couch beside where she meditated. Her shoulders were slumped and her face was sunken and sad as though she were a scolded child in the presence of a parent who knew what she had done wrong.

Nora made no sound as she tiredly sat upon the cushions and slowly held her face in her hands, her unkempt hair now draping over her shoulders and down her back. The silence stretched for another fifteen minutes before Nora whispered between her hands, "I'm so sorry."

"Might I ask what you are apologizing for?"

"I almost got you killed. Morinth would have done the same had I sided with her. I wasn't thinking at all," she said as she remained still.

"From what I have observed, you are under great pressure to complete your mission against the Collectors. It is understandable."

If Nora registered the backhanded acceptance of her apology, she didn't verbally acknowledge it. Her head drooped a bit lower, well aware that she had that coming. For the first time since her resurrection, she felt ashamed. She had almost made more people like Diana, who would, for the rest of their life, wonder what kind of person their now dead children could have been had Morinth not stolen that chance from them.

And it would have been all her fault.

"If you wish to make amends, you could explain to me or give me some understanding of why you felt so compelled to consider such an action."

There was another moment of silence before Nora took a deep breath and sat up. "When you live one day to the next, wondering where your next meal is coming from, how you're going to survive, things like laws, codes, and rules seem like luxuries to those who can afford them."

Her head dipped again. "And that's what I saw you as. Just another rule, just another police officer that didn't try to understand how it's like, living on the streets in rags."

"You would not be the first, nor will you be the last who see things in such a way," she said with no indication that she took issue with Nora's assessment.

"But I don't want to be like this," Shepard said with frustration at herself. "I feel like I lost so much and my attempts at keeping any sort of control seem to work against me."

Samara considered her words for a moment before answering, "Control is something one consistently needs to refine and never cease."

Aware that she had her answer, Nora slowly pulled herself up and started to pad her way to the door. As the door opened, she turned back to Samara once more and asked, "if... if it's not too much to ask, could you teach me how you control your anger?"

"You mean, aside from living nine-hundred years?"

Shepard's eyes went wide. "Did you just make a joke?"

Samara had only the slightest of grins as she maintained her posture. "Better to give a nebulous answer when there is no such thing as a correct one." Her smile faded and returned to her previous state, "We shall discuss how at another time. For now, observe the one you call Jack as an example as to how you do not wish to deal with your anger."

Nora's demeanor brightened a bit and nodded. "I think I can do that."

* * *

S: Shepard was not without her own problems. However, it was my privilege to see her overcome them. It will take time, however, as most things of that nature do. In the end, however, she became more than an ally, she became a friend.

K: How did that come about?

S: During the war, the Reapers actively sought out the monasteries with ardat-yakshi residents in them to turn them into those abominations you call Banshees. I had requested Shepard's help once more with the one where my daughters were.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Nora said as she saw Samara take her pistol out.

"Mother!" Falere said as she took a step back, but stopped when she noticed Samara pointing the barrel up towards her own head instead of at her.

"This is the only way the code can be satisfied and I will not kill my last daughter," she said, rather to pull the trigger. She then smiled, "you, my daughters, have always made me proud. I love you all."

"Mother!" Falare screamed with her eyes becoming moist.

The justicar was about to pull the trigger when a biotic field yanked the gun from her hand and Nora threw it back into the monastery.

Samara turned to Nora with fury in her eyes, but Nora did not back down. "What are you doing?"

"Remember Diana? Remember all the others like her? Are you going to add her to that list?!" Nora answered defiantly, aware that she was way out of her league. She looked to Falare, her eyes watering and her hands a quiver, "she's already lost two sisters. Are you going to deprive her of you as well?"

"It is how the Code dictates," Samara answered with a frown. "There is no monastery for her to be in."

Shepard and the Justicar stared each other in anger until another voice cut in. "I need no building to follow the code, Mother," Falare interrupted, her courage found. "I could have left and joined Mirala at any time I wanted. However, I will stay. And if the Reapers return, they'll not take me alive. I swear it."

There was a tense moment as all eyes went upon Samara, waiting for her to act. She then relaxed and uttered, "Very well. I will stay here and assist in the rebuilding and once the war is over, I will return and visit, as a justicar should."

Falere, aware that she was not going to be alone, quickly closed the distance and embraced her mother, an act she had not done for centuries. Initially reluctant, Samara's own hands slowly enclosed and held her last daughter close.

She stole a sideways glance at Nora with her hands on her hips. She had confided to her not long ago that she had no experience of what a mother was to her, however, she admitted that she wanted a family of her own.

Nora gave her a small, and knowing, smile then turned away to call the Normandy.

* * *

S: While Shepard's influence was minimal, I consider her to be there at just the right place and time. I am grateful for her and the qualities she possess that facilitate our friendship.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thessia**

Khalisah sighed openly. Well, it was back to square one. They got all the information they could out of people on Thessia, and even Varicia's extensive contacts had brought up nothing as to Shepard's whereabouts.

"So... back to Earth, then," she said resigned as she marched back to the starport where Varicia was waiting for her. She wanted to at least get a chance to see if Sur'kesh or Rannoch would hold anything, but that wasn't going to happen.

"Khalisah! Good news!" the voice of her girlfriend said over her omni-tool.

"What is it?" she asked.

"There's a freighter from Rannoch here. They got a few guests with them that will allow us passage to the Quarian Homeworld!"

"How'd you manage that?!"

"I *am* a lawyer, you realize. I have my ways," she said with a playful titter in her voice.

"Won't question that. I'll get our things from the Normandy."

"Already taken care of. Just head to port sixteen. There'll be a quarian waiting for you, his name is Kenn."

* * *

As per her instruction, Khalisah found a quarian waiting for her as he waved to get her attention.

"Khalisah al-Jilani," she said with her hand extended.

The quarian accepted it, aware of human customs and greetings. "Kenn'Reegar nar Tonbay vas Rannoch."

"I can't thank you enough. It's been a nightmare trying to think of how we'd continue my project."

He nodded. "We'd be happy to have you. It's on our way and not a lot of our people have actually seen humans all that much. If I remember right, I think we have food processors for non-Quarians now. Just in case there are a few who'd like to live with us."

"That's good to hear," she said, hopeful for something that resembled real food instead of the processed rations she had been subsisting on.

Kenn looked over Khalisah's shoulder. "Funny. You don't see a lot of Salarians outside of the Union. And even then, they'd be Lysenthi if they came from the Terminus, but still, they rarely come to other worlds."

She whirled around to see a pair of pale, and rather hostile looking Salarians on the other side of the thoroughfare. She'd seen those kinds of people before. However, she knew that with all the other asari and off-world travelers there, they wouldn't do anything. Yet.

"Please tell me your ship's ready for take-off?" she asked quickly as she took his hand and dragged him down the hallway to where the rest of them would be waiting for them.

"Well, sure, but-"

They didn't reach another twenty feet down the hallway before they were stopped in their tracks. They both looked to their feet to see a pair of energy fields around their ankles and the salarians they had been following her on approach. Of course, they had to be alone.

"You, human. Where's Shepard?" the first one said angrily.

"Ugh. Not this again," Khalisah growled and progressively got louder. "Listen, I don't know where Shepard is! I never knew where Shepard is! I'm just trying to write a damn book! And now, I got morons like you and the batarians, via some inexplicable leap in logic, thinking that I know where she is! I don't! I am tired of this shit! _Neek Hallak, kalet!_"

Kenn and the salarians had no idea what she had said, however, the latter had a good enough idea that it wasn't the most kind of terms.

"If you don't know, then-" he was interrupted when Kenn casually lifted his omni-tool and tasered the first assailant.

The second was about to attack when he too got shocked from behind and crumbled to the floor with his companion. Behind the second salarian, a Geth engineer in white and blue plating walked up to them both, knelt at their feet, and deactivated the chains that held them to the ground.

When he stood up, he bowed to Khalisah, turned to Kenn and said, "Forgive me, Creator. The traffic on the way back to the port was excessive."

Kenn smiled under his mask and shook it off. "Don't worry, Epiphany. Your timing was perfect."

Khalisah blinked at the sight of a Geth in front of her, which made Kenn realize that not everyone was aware of the Perseus Trust.

"Ms. al-Jilani, this is my companion, Epiphany. Epiphany, this is a human reporter, Khalisah al-Jilani," he said warmly.

The single ocular blinked once, its plates on the top of its head flapped once, then it bowed. "I am designated Epiphany. The Geth acknowledge and are aware of your presence, Reporter-al-Jilani."

Khalisah's shoulders drooped. "It was my show, wasn't it?"

One of the flaps on top of its head waved once. "Correct."

She pinched the bridge of her nose to fight the developing headache. "Of course."

* * *

"'Sup, bitch?" Jack said with a casual wave as she looked up from her pad as Khalisah and Varicia entered the passenger compartment of the frigate.

During the war, the individual known as Jacqueline Naught had proven herself more than capable of fighting against the Reapers using guerrilla tactics and unconventional strategies.

It also brought her some notable infamy when she replicated one of her stunts by crushing a massive Reaper base with an abandoned space station. She even duplicated Nora Shepard's destruction of the Aratoht system by breaking a few relays in Reaper controlled systems as well.

Thankfully, once the war was over, she obliged going back to teaching young human biotics, since many of her students turned out far better than most others.

"Oh, hello!" an unusually tall asari said with her hands clasped together who towered over the reclining Jack. "I'm Amanea Polotheas, a pleasure to meet you."

"Polothe- wait, you're related to Aethyta?" Khalisah asked, curious.

"Of course. She's my mother. My father, Taersa, was hanar," the taller asari said as a matter of factly.

"A hanar?" Khalisah said before her mind went to places it really shouldn't have. "I'm not going to ask. Anyway, Khalisah al-Jilani. Nice to meet you too," she said hoping that Amanea would leave the matter alone, because she seemed so pleasant that the subject of discussion would invariably lead back to it.

"Ah, Matron Polotheas. A pleasure to meet you," Varicia said with an equally pleasant smile.

"Oh, Varicia! How are you?" Amanea started and eventually led into a conversation of asari small talk that rendered the rest of the non-asari passangers of the Quarian freighter in the dark.

With a sigh, Khalisah took a seat next to Jack, who only chuckled. She'd spent more than enough time with the asari to know she wasn't entirely wild about them, but they were always nice to have as friends and allies.

"So, if you don't mind my asking, what's bringing you to Rannoach?" Khalisah asked Jack as Kenn and another quarian took seats with them.

"Oh, the Admiralty Board requested her help, since we want to make sure if it's true that there may be biotic potential in some of the first generation born on Rannoch," the other quarian, a female, answered.

Jack inclined her head to the quarian. "What she said."

"Oh, sorry," the second quarian noted, "it's just that I rarely get a chance to speak with humans."

"And you are?" Khalisah asked.

"Lia'Vael nar Ulnay vas Rannoch," she answered with a nod. "Well, technically, it's a bit longer, since we've dismantled the fleet into smaller cities and districts, but we keep them simple enough for the rest of the galaxy."

"Come to think of it, how long will it be before Quarians completely acclimate back to their homeworld? And will they be able to travel anywhere without the suits?" she asked, curious, as the news about the Quarians and the Geth Reconciliation was such a minor footnote in galactic news.

"The Geth have been assisting us with the atmospheric adaptation," Kenn answered, "from what some of the more knowledgeable members of the Conclave have said, we'll be able to reestablish the Quarian embassy with the other Council Races with the space of a few years."

She smiled, a rarity these days, at the prospect of the exiles finding their place in the galaxy again. When she had first learned of them, she found it surprising that the Council didn't lift a finger to help them.

The recordings of the Quarian representatives pleading for aid from the Council was downright heartbreaking when Ambassador Chala'Nor nar Seknat was rebuked and essentially told that the Quarians would not only be drifting for the rest of their lives in the newly established Refuge Fleet, but the Embassy which she had served in for a good portion of her life would be closed.

"Oh, Ms. al-Jilani," Kenn asked, "you said earlier that you were writing a book? And it was about Shepard?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Oh, well, in the case, Lia'Vael and I could tell you a few of our experiences working with her some years ago. We could also arrange for you to meet Tali'Zorah when we reach Rannoch, if you wished," he offered.

Khalisah blinked. People close to Shepard tended to be rather sequestered behind walls that often required a length process or greasing palms in order to get interviews.

"How closely did you two work with her?"

"Not as closely as Tali'Zorah has, but enough I think. She was a great help to both of us."

Khalisah looked to both quarians before she shrugged. It couldn't hurt.

* * *

K: So, when was it you met Shepard?

**Kenn'Reegar nar Tombay vas Rannoch**: I met her on my pilgrimage. A few poor choices had left me stranded on Omega and I was eking out a meager living when she found me.

* * *

Another day, another bunch of business lost. Kenn was always good with his money, however, it's hard to hold onto it when three batarians beat you within an inch of cracking your suit's helmet and they have to search through your pockets to find it. He was lucky enough to carry his _Chutna_, the traditional Quarian combat knife that the batarians weren't able to steal. However, by the time he would have gotten a chance to use it, the batarians were gone and he was alone.

The buzzing of his omni-tool almost deafened him to the sound of someone actually entering his humble store. He stood up and turned around to see the tallest human he had ever seen. He actually paused for a moment to realize that this human, whoever she was, was also armed and armored. Probably a mercenary. Also, judging by the other two humans with her, it seemed that it could have been that human supremacist group he kept hearing about from the fleet.

Regardless, he nodded cordially. "Welcome to Kenn's Salvage. What can I get for you?"

"What kind of salvage do you have?" the human woman asked, she looked tired and irritable, however, she was able to keep her calm.

He shrugged. "Mostly heavy weapon upgrades, and a few genetic mods. Oh, and I got some T6-FBA couplings just last week. Was off a ship that had crashed in one of the abandoned districts and it was one of the last things that hadn't been stripped off of it. Granted, they're pretty readily available, but around here, you take when you can get."

The human woman cocked an eyebrow, then turned on her omni tool to check a file she had referred to. "Looks like you're in luck, my ship needs those couplings. It'll help on the maintenance."

He smiled. The couplings were cheap, but at least it was one step closer to getting off of Omega.

"Deal. And thank you. Each sale is one step closer to getting off this rock," he said as he walked back to his pile of refurbished tech to search for the items she had just purchased.

"So, I'm guessing you're Kenn, right?" the human asked as he returned, "what's a nice kid like you doing on Omega?" He paused, the anger was still there, however, there was something else there. He wasn't sure what it was.

"My pilgrimage," he answered sadly. "I hadn't been here for a few days before all my money was taken. Now, I'm stuck here, digging through wreckage looking for things to sell, while Harrot upstairs is one step away from preventing me from making any money for a ticket out of here."

"Tell me, Kenn, what is it you're looking for on your pilgrimage. Anything specific?"

He shook his head. "Not really. I just want to help and find a proper gift. I'd like to make my parents proud if I can. Bring something amazing like Tali'zorah nar Raaya did when she came back with information about the Geth."

The human was silent for a moment before she asked, "how good are you at engineering, Kenn? You have any combat experience?"

Unsure where this was going, he answered regardless, "a little. My older brother, Kal, is a marine. I'm better at crafting combat and defensive turrets to support combat troops."

"I would also assume that you wouldn't be selling this kind of tech unless you knew how it worked, correct?"

"Of course. It's bad for business if you make faulty products," he said, slightly annoyed at the prospect that any of his items would be subpar.

"Alright, then," Nora said before she turned on her omni-tool and after a few keystrokes, Kenn looked to his own account and discovered that she had paid for every single article he had for sale.

When he looked up, she inclined her head backward. "Get all your gear and items, then head to the docks. The ship called The Normandy will be waiting for you."

Kenn and the other woman with the first human blanched. "What?"

"Kenn'Reegar, I'm Commander Nora Shepard. Right now, I need people that know their way around a fight. I also need people that know their way around a ship. I took a chance on one of your kind a few years ago and I never regretted it. Here's your chance. If you want, you can pay for your ticket off of Omega and continue with your pilgrimage with the money for the items I just bought, I would understand completely."

While it was no secret most of the galaxy held nothing but disdain for his people, it was hard for him to ignore the fact that this Nora Shepard sounded very sincere. Even his lie detector, hidden in his helmet, couldn't find any discrepancies in her speech.

A small smile started to grow on his face and he nodded. "Very well. Thank you, Commander. Thank you for having me."

"Commander," the other woman objected, "while I understand our need for good people, I don't think it's wise to take someone off of-"

She was cut off when Shepard got into the woman's face and growled, "Is there a problem, Lawson?!"

Kenn almost gasped when he saw the scars on Shepard's face and her eyes glow an intense red.

Lawson only frowned and then answered after a brief and tense pause, "none, Commander."

"Good," she turned back to him, "be ready to move out within the hour, Kenn'Reegar."

He nodded, but soon wondered if what he had chosen to do were merely, as the human saying went, jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.

* * *

K: I certainly hope it didn't go as badly as you thought it would.

K'R: Not at all. It didn't take long for me to get along with the rest of the crew, nevermind the fact that it had an AI on board and it was a Cerberus ship.

K: Did Shepard ever go into detail why she wanted you, Lia'Vael, and Tali'Zorah with her?

K'R: Not really. However, she always looked out for us. And there were a few times where we got messages from other pilgrims that had been helped surreptitiously by Shepard as she just happened to be in the same general area.

K: So, would it be safe to assume that she would often go out of her way for other quarians because she understood what it was like?

K'R: I think so. What little she has told about herself makes me think she understand what it's like being shunned by most other people and, well, a lot of us younger quarians are grateful for her help.

* * *

"Ok," Nora whispered to him, Lia'Vael, and Thane, "we'll only have a minute to get the data before the rest of the Eclipse know what we're up to. Thane will be picking them off from behind, I'll be running distractions, and Kenn, your priority is to protect Lia at all costs. I was able to get a note to Joker and the rest of the crew, just in case, but I'd rather not show our hand before we have a chance to get out of here."

Her three companions nodded, aware that the Eclipse could cause a lot of damage unless they were stopped here and now. She quietly led them down the hall to the central data hub where their objective was. She had point, with the two quarians between herself and Thane, and she edged herself past the edge to see three Eclipse techs in the room.

She raised her free hand to indicate the number of troops. One by one, her fingers drew back inward to indicate her signal to attack. She, immediately followed by Kenn, dashed into the room, shot the first tech with a silenced pistol, caught the second in a stasis field, and he was able to disable the last one with his omni-tool's taser.

"Go, go," she whispered loudly as Lia'Vael quickly hurried to the central computer, turned her own omni-tool own and began the hacking procedure. Behind her, Kenn set down the cylinder attached to his back and with a few key strokes from his own omni-tool, it unfurled into a turret which quickly identified friendly and unfriendly units. He then knelt behind one of the other terminals and readied his rifle. He wondered how proud of him Kal would have been.

His elder brother would gently chide him about his insistence of fighting smarter with extra equipment as opposed to brute forcing his way through all the situations like Kal would. He was on the ship when he got word that his big brother was the only survivor of Tali'Zorah's squad on Haestrom.

Kal had teased him about getting into trouble when they got a chance to talk before he returned to the fleet, and Kenn had returned the favor by asking how many punctures he got in his suit this time. The brothers Reegar had shared a laugh that they still were able to talk after their father's unfortunate passing.

_I know you don't want me to protect you, Kenn, but you're still my brother, so stay safe. Keelah Se'lai._ His brother had said before they had separated again. He and Kal were an anomaly, since most Quarian families had only one child per household and to hear of parents having more than one was almost unheard of.

The blur of a shot going over his head brought him out of his reverie. The turret swiveled to shoot down the Eclipse merc before she had a chance to move further in and within seconds, more troops attempted to push their way in.

"How far in are you?" Nora yelled from one of the ends of the room after she tossed another singularity.

"Need thirty seconds!" Lia said back as her fingers flew across the console.

"You got twenty-five, make them count!" Nora screamed back as she blew up another singularity.

Kenn lifted his rifle and let lose another short controlled burst of munitions against a salarian and a human Eclipse solider. They had pulled back and into the hallway before any of his shots had a chance to deal any significant damage, however it gave them what they needed more of: time.

His proximity detector blared when he then looked to left to see the unmistakable shimmering of a cloaking field. An infiltrator had gotten past their defenses and was just about to shoot him when the asari fell face first to the ground as Thane appeared right behind his would be killer.

"Thank you, Mr. Krios," he said quickly as the drell nodded cordially before vanishing again.

"Got it!" Lia'Vael screamed as both the information was downloaded and a virus was uploaded in its place.

"Move out! Thane, take point, I got rear!" Nora said as she forced another guard detail backwards into the hallway from where they came from.

* * *

Another five harrowing minutes later, Nora looked to her companions and smiled wearily to the quarians. "Good job, both of you."

"Thank you, commander," Kenn responded with a nod. "I wasn't entirely sure we were going to make it. Though, we have you and Mr. Krios to thank for that."

"Kenn, I brought you with us because I knew you could do it. Same with Lia. If we're going to survive the fight with the Collectors, I want both of you at your best," Nora answered calmly.

Lia nudged him with her arm and gave his shoulder an encouraging pat.

* * *

**Lia'Vael nar Ulnay vas Rannoch**: We owe a lot to her. When Admiral Gerrel went mad with revenge and wanted to destroy the Geth, he almost took us down with him.

**Kenn'Reegar**: I mean, when Tohn risked himself to go to the Perseus Veil, we thought he was crazy. However, it made us realize that we never once asked the Geth what they wanted.

L: We'll be sure and remember Tohn'Gerrel for helping stop the war. It was difficult to see Han'Gerrel go to Tohn's grave, however, in a way, Tohn was able to give the homeworld back to the fleet.

K'R: And now we're home. We have a future now. We won't forget this and Shepard's help.

* * *

K: How did you meet Shepard?

**Lia'Vael nar Ulnay vas Rannoch**: Well, I was on my pilgrimage for quite a while. You know how it's been. Somehow, I was able to pay my way to the Citadel with odd jobs I've been picking up here and there. I was hoping that maybe, the same good luck that Tali'Zorah would visit me the way it did her... despite all the things she had to endure before she met her.

K: Like what?

L: Well. I was lucky enough to land a job on a few asari and turian freighters that needed a comm specialist. I mean, when you're going near the Terminus, you always have to be on the lookout for Raiders and you can always tell when they're trying to hit you. Batarians especially love jamming signals before moving in for the kill.

K: You have experience with that?

L: After Shepard recruited me, I was on the Normandy when we were able to find the Collector ship. It was harrowing to say the least.

K: So, why do you think Shepard recruited you and Kenn?

L: I think it was because she wanted more non-Cerberus people she could learn to trust during the campaign. Sure, I'm a good hacker in combat situations, but it was nothing on the level of actual combat hackers. Also, Tali'zorah and I thought that the reason why she wanted myself, Tali, and Kenn on her team was because she could relate to Quarians more than anyone. Well, we had no real proof, but it was nice to think that was the case.

* * *

At one of the consoles near the neck of the bridge, Lia's fingers quickly went over the various links of comm chatter that Shepard had requested she kept an eye on. This was the reason why Shepard had recruited her. Not only to keep an eye out for the Collectors and other hostile forces, but to monitor everything Cerberus did as subtle as she could. Lia couldn't blame her, really, given the paramilitary organization's reputation. Not to mention being so close to the enemy required the kind of expertise she could bring.

She was good at communications and her experience in hacking would assist EDI, despite her reservations of the AI, shackled or no, in any necessary situations.

The report from the Illusive Man had been spread to the crew after Shepard's debriefing and the pilot was already underway to the location of the Collector's ship. However, there was a nagging feeling the back of her head as she continued to monitor the transmissions that Cerberus was feeding the Turians at the moment.

"Is there something wrong, Crewman Lia'Vael?" EDI asked as her image hovered from a projector beside her console.

Lia hesitated to speak to the AI. The fact that Cerberus even employed an AI unsettled her and reminded her of the reasons why the Migrant Fleet listed them as a dangerous group to be avoided at all cost. Of course, the fact that Cerberus had attacked them via a traitor to the fleet had something to do with it too.

"It's... it's nothing. Really," Lia lied, however, she couldn't tell the AI anything. She wouldn't. It was made by Cerberus, after all.

"If you should ever require my assistance, Crewman Lia'Vael, do not hesitate to ask. Logging you out," EDI said before her projection shrunk and vanished to return to the cockpit where she would pester the human called, Joker.

Lia let out a quite breath of relief and went back to her reports. However, the same questions kept bothering her as Shepard and her squad disembarked and they made their way into the seemingly inert vessel.

"Lia," a familiar voice noted as it approached her station. She turned and smiled at Kenn'Reegar nar Tonbay.

"Kenn," she answered with a friendly nod, "what brings you up here from the armory?"

"Well, the human, Jacob says that while Shepard is on board the Collector vessel, we all need to be on standby, just in case something happens. I wanted to make sure that my equipment was ready. I also saw that you were here and wanted to make sure you were well," he said with a nod.

She nodded. "I am fine, Kenn. Thank you." She then gestured to the almost empty command room around them. "As you can see, it's quiet here. Too quiet. I'm monitoring the communications from Cerberus to keep the Turians busy while Shepard explores the ship. I prefer the noise of the fleet more." She gestured to her helmet.

Kenn was about to answer, when he realized what she was getting at. Lia nodded and then they turned off their translators and spoke to each other in their own language on a short-band signal that only they, and no listening devices planted by Cerberus, would understand each other.

_"Kenn. I'm scared. The Turians don't operate anywhere near the Terminus! Even if the Hierarchy were to send a scouting vessel here, they sure wouldn't be sending out a frequency that anyone would find. They're too secretive for that!" _she hissed.

_"I know. Not to mention that if what Shepard told me about the Collector vessel was true, how would a Turian scout ship be able to disable the vessel? The first iteration of the Normandy didn't stand a chance and it was the top of the line combat frigate back in the day. And no visible marks? Something is definitely wrong,"_ he muttered.

Their worries were justified when they heard an alarm of a hostile presence trying to gain control of the ship and Joker's statement when he saw EDI's image replaced with the Collector's insignia, "Well, that can't be good."

Both Quarians looked to each other, then Lia jumped back in her seat to help EDI counteract the infiltration and Kenn dashed back to the armory to assist Jacob in a possible repelling of enemy soldiers.

"EDI," Lia ordered, before she caught herself speaking to the AI, "what happened?"

"The Collectors were not disabled as we were led to believe," the AI began as its image began to flicker.

"They were playing dead?" Lia almost shouted.

"Correct. They are attempting to override my systems, however, their technology is not as advanced as one would assume," EDI stated confidently as she assisted Shepard's squad escaping the heart of the vessel.

"Then why would they play dead unless they knew..." Lia caught herself when a horrid realization came to mind, "...that we were coming."

"A correct observation. I would also request that you observe the distress signal the Illusive Man caught," EDI said as another screen opened up in front of Lia. "This is the signal that we were given. Are you familiar with Turian distress protocols?"

"I am, let me see that," Lia said as she began to dissect and rearrange the data she was given to discover if her suspicions were true. Like a hovering puzzle, the data stream was dissected and rearranged in a seemingly chaotic manner until Lia had reassembled it to match what she knew for a fact was what Turian distress protocols looked like.

It was a fake. Turians made sure that very few, if any others outside the Hierarchy, could replicate their types of communication protocols. Cerberus was good at creating forgeries, she would admit, however, they just couldn't seem to completely recreate what the Turians had created and had changed with such frequency that it was nigh impossible to duplicate.

And that meant that Illusive Man knew that the Collectors were not disabled at all.

Lia spoke with a noticeable shiver in her voice, "we walked right into a trap." She didn't get much time to mentally explore the complete ramifications of her discovery when Shepard had stumbled into the ship and the airlock closed quite loudly.

"All hands, brace for evasive maneuvers!" Joker's voice roared over the speakers as Lia belted herself in.

No sooner had the belt clicked itself tight, she was nearly thrown out of her chair as a beam of powerful energy nearly cut the Normandy in two. Several more jerks and lunges almost made Lia spew the paste in her stomach out into her helmet as the Normandy finally made the FTL jump out of the range of the Collector ship.

With them out of danger, Lia breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against her chair as Shepard walked wearily down the aisle.

"Commander," EDI's voice came from the speakers above them both, "it should be noted that Lia'Vael was able to discover an important discrepancy in the signal we received. She had discovered that the signal was fake and had she not found it, we would have not been able to escape in time."

Shepard said nothing as she looked to the holographic image before she turned to Lia and spoke calmly, "well done, Ms. Vael. You've saved us." However, the heat in her voice returned as she started to walk away, "now, _haole _and I need to discuss a few things in private!"

Lia cringed at the glowing red scars on her face that seemed to glow brighter the madder she got. Whoever this 'haole' was, Lia was glad she wasn't them.

* * *

K: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Ms. Nought.

**Jacqueline Naught; Biotics Teacher for Grissom Academy**: No problem.

K: Considering your past, there must have been some kind of tension with what Cerberus did to you when you joined Shepard.

J: No shit, Sherlock. The only reason I got on the Normandy was because Shepard made a deal that I couldn't refuse.

K: What was that?

J: Ha! Every dirty secret they had access to. Including the facility where those bastards took me and all those other kids and treated us like lab rats.

K: Still, the fact that you were on a Cerberus vessel must have come to a head or something.

J: Yeah, it did. Though, I have to give Shepard credit, she had some serious balls to come between me and the Cheerleader that gave Cerberus every excuse.

K: What happened?

J: She chewed us out, but I didn't have any of it. So, we decided to settle it out the best way both of us knew; fighting.

* * *

Nora's gaze was steady as it was angry at Jack, who mirrored Shepard's own. When she had separated herself and Miranda from fighting in her office, it would have been disingenuous to say she had settled the fight. When Jack had left the office, she had heard some of the most heated and angry yelling she had ever heard out of Shepard, she even used a few words she wanted to remember for herself at a later date.

However, Shepard then came down to her hidey hole and ended up giving her the same spiel more or less. She was tempted to smear Shepard across the metal right then and there, however, the Commander gave her a good reason to let them 'take it outside'.

Shepard would take Jack to Daratar in the ruins of the Eclipse base they had raided not too long ago and they would fight. If Jack won; she'd give Jack command over the Normandy. If Nora won; what she would do she wouldn't say, however, she gave Jack her word it wouldn't be unpleasant.

"Even if you won, Shepard, what makes you think I'd go along with it?" Jack sneered as the Kodiak lowered through the atmosphere.

"Call it a hunch, Jack," she answered tersely as the ships VI indicated they were at the base. The door opened and both hopped out.

"You ready?" Nora said as she faced Jack.

"Damn right I am. Ready to kick your ass and take the Normandy from you," Jack said as she cracked her knuckles.

"We'll see. And just to even the odds a bit," Nora said before she reached backward and let her folded up weapons drop to the ground. She then drew out her asari combat knife and said, "aside from my biotics, this is all I'm going to use."

Jack snorted. "What, you think you can take me out with your biotics alone, Shepard? You gotten stupid behind my back?"

"Not really. I won't need to use my biotics against you at all," she said calmly.

Jack nearly choked. "Damn, Shepard, you really must have lost it. Oh well, whatever. I'm gonna get the ship anyway. Go ahead and just give up now."

"Don't think so," Nora said when all of a sudden, a dust cloud exploded from behind Nora and filled the valley.

The wind had obscured Jack's vision and before she could pull her weapons out, Shepard had vanished.

"You piece of shit cheater!" Jack howled as she let loose her shotgun into the cloud, which hit nothing.

"Really, Jack, I thought you understood the galaxy better than that," Nora taunted from the other side of the valley.

"You were just buttering me up the whole fucking time! You two-faced piece of shit!" Jack snarled as she fired off another round of shotgun rounds into the general direction of the voice, but still hit nothing.

The dust finally dissipated and Jack searched around frantically but Shepard was nowhere to be found.

"I never lied to you, Jack," Nora's voice came from another point in the valley.

She threw her shotgun aside and gathered her biotics. The instant she saw a shadow above her, she whirled around and threw all her strength into a single biotic wave. To her surprise, it wasn't Shepard, like she thought it was, but it turned out to simply be Nora's breastplate.

She then turned back, only to be tackled violently. Nora's feet dug into her stomach and knocked the air out of her. She then teetered over and fell on her back. As she struggled to get her breath back, she looked up to see Shepard, without her armor and her knife drawn. The frown on her face was very telling.

"You missed, Jack," she growled before she raised the point of her dagger up as though she were going to stab her in the face. When the blade dug into the ground, right beside her ear, Nora leaned in close and hissed, "and now, you're dead!"

Without another word, she stood up and grabbed Jack by the belt that held her breasts in check and hauled her up to her feet when she finally got her breath back. "Come on, let's go," she said as she guided the weakened Jack back to the Kodiak.

She had lost. It was disgusting.

Jack's breathing was still haggard as she took a seat across from Shepard, but still glared at her. "What's your game, Shepard?"

"I don't have a game, Jack," Nora said, tired of the paranoia, " look, I get it. You had it rough. Cerberus stole your life from you and turned you into a lab experiment. But guess what? You're not anymore, so, why are you doing what they want?"

"What?!" Jack asked, angered, before another fit of coughing.

"Because you're doing exactly what they want you to do. You may as well be back in that damn facility," Shepard said with a frown.

"You fucking kidding me?!"

"Think about it, Jack! What they wanted out of you and those kids was a weapon. They couldn't give a damn how much damage you do to them because that's what they want! And guess what? By proving them right, it'll make it easier for them to do it to other kids!"

Jack's eyes went wide. All the time, even after finding the information from Pragia, she figured she was the end of whatever project Cerberus wanted. And to hear that she was just a template shook her. It seemed that no matter what she could do, Cerberus would always be one step ahead and just not care, no matter what she did.

"Dammit," she whispered, "then what the fuck am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know, Jack," Nora said wearily, "but I do know is that whatever you do, just don't prove them right."

"And what would that be, Shepard?!" Jack asked, still clearly angry at losing and impatient with the grandstanding.

"That you're not an animal! How you do that, I don't know, but carrying this grudge well beyond the fact that Pragia's completely gone is not helping at all," Nora said just as exasperated.

Jack paused at the first part. She was always used to being treated poorly and with the same hate and disdain she reveled in. No one had ever told her she was human at all.

It was worth a moment to think about, anyway.

* * *

J: So, Shepard was the first person to actually treat me like a person. I started hating everything and everyone a bit less and, well, I was able to convince the heads at Grissom to let me teach those little brats and see if they got what it takes.

K: How are your students doing?

J: They're actually not sucking for once. They might actually make me proud if they keep it up. And the same goes for the second years that I'll be teaching when we get the Academy up and running again.

K: Thank you for your time, Ms. Nought.

J: Welcome.


	12. Chapter 12

**En route to Rannoch**

The light coming from the cockpit caused Khalisah and Varicia to walk up to the front to see the orange sun of Rannoch's home system.

"Hey," Khalisah turned back to Kenn,"how many non-natives have been on Rannoch since the war ended?"

"Not a lot. Most don't care about Rannoch to even consider us a viable trading partner, yet. We're still rebuilding our part in the galactic community."

"I know it's a bit late for us to ask; but once we're done, will we be able to get back to Earth soon?" Varicia added.

"Oh, sure!" Lia'Vael cut in, "there are dozens of craft going to other parts in the galaxy. We would be able to speak on your behalf to get you back home."

A beep from Khalisah's omni-tool diverted her attention from the conversation at hand to the fact she had gotten a message.

_Greetings, Khalisah al-Jilani;_

_As per your request, Tali'Zorah nar Raaya and myself will be meeting you at the space port and will answer any questions for your project._

_Welcome to Rannoch;_

_Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay_

Khalisah smiled. After all this nonsense, at least she was getting close to being finished. Even if she couldn't find Shepard, she'd at least have enough material to start writing her book. No, Emily's book. She'd make sure that if she had any family that survived the war, she'd make sure she'd get credit for her involvement.

* * *

It was both surprising and unnerving to see not only Quarians outside of their suits, but several of them speaking with their Geth Companions. The first things she ever heard about the Geth were nothing more than some bogeyman that was the reason why AIs were outlawed and why the Quarians deserved their fate.

Varicia, on the other hand, seemed far more comfortable than she was.

"Have you been here before?" she asked.

"Oh, yes," she said happily as she waved to a small pair of quarian children with their parents, "I came here when I was a maiden. Had a good decade and a half to work in some of the biggest law firms on Rannoch when they still lived outside their suits. Also helped that my father was quarian."

Khalisah turned to her in shock. "What? You never mentioned this."

She looked back and answered innocently, "you never asked."

The reporter grumbled to herself and made a note to see if there were any more details like that she needed to know.

She pointed to the mountain just to their south. "A lot of Quarian law is based off of the records from the Scrolls of the Ancestors and according to the records the Quarians kept, it was given to them by the first writer of the Scrolls; _Keelah nar Rounha_."

Khalisah stopped and balked. "What? From what I understood, Keelah meant 'the Homeworld'."

The asari nodded. "Of course. But in the local dialect of the time, it meant 'the ground upon which we grow'. They lost so much of their culture when they were exiled."

"And, if it is not too much trouble to ask, Lady Varicia, we would be pleased if you would tell us more, as some of our records were lost over time concerning Quarian law," a new voice said from behind them.

Both turned to see a silver haired quarian, outside of her suit, and in ebon colored robes covering most of her body with ornate Quarian patterns, save for the shawl and the hood, which were a cool teal to offset the darker colors of her robes. In colors of its armor that matched her robe, a Geth Juggernaut stood at her side.

Beside her, Tali'zorah, clad in robes similar to the admiral, only in purple and gold, regarded Khalisah with slight suspicion. Even the Geth Guardian at her side seemed to mirror her response.

"Shala'Raan vas Tonbay nar Rannoch," she said with a respectful bow before she turned to her Geth Companion, "and this is Diplomacy." To which, the tall and imposing Geth nodded in respect.

"Khalisah al-Jilani," she gestured to her companion, "this is Varicia S'Tonu."

"Tali," Raan said, aware of her grievances against Khalisah.

However, the younger quarian mimicked Raan's bow and muttered, "Tali'Zorah nar Raaya vas Rannoch," she inclined her head to her Geth companion, "this is Harmony."

"Tali, show respect. They are guests. And she doesn't not have the drone like she did before," Raan admonished.

Khalisah bristled and swore under her breath. Even the quarians knew about her show!

* * *

K: Shepard has made her opinion known about the treatment the quarians had suffered known for quite a while. In your opinion; did that help or hinder your cause?

**Admiral Shala'Raan nar Tonbay vas Rannoch**: While it was good to know that someone with as much exposure as she was able to bring our grievances to light, she was still a single, small voice in the great sea of the galaxy that did not care.

K: You still think that even if Shepard was not as well-known as she was, she'd still fight for you?

S: Yes, I believe so. It was after Tali'zorah was wrongfully tried as a traitor to the fleet did we get a chance to speak.

* * *

"Captain Shepard," Shala'raan said quickly as Tali and Nora were about to take their leave, "a moment, please?"

She nodded and turned to Tali. "Have Joker warm up the engines, we won't be long."

Tali nodded and turned to Shala, "farewell, Auntie, I'll be safe."

"Keelah Se'lai, Tali," Raan said, with evident relief and pride in her voice.

When Tali had left them, she turned to Shepard and asked, "I want to thank you for speaking up for Tali on her behalf."

"She's my crewmate. Well, also, I consider her my sister and am grateful she's with us," Nora said as she leaned against the walls.

Shala nodded. "Good. Even if Rael is gone, maybe I shall not worry as much about her safety."

The smile faded from Nora's face. "Realistically speaking, could I let her make the Normandy her home if she were to be exiled?"

Raan nodded. "Of course, however, even if exiles find ways to start anew, it is not easy for them. I know you are angry with me, Shepard. And rightfully so. However, even you would have to admit that were you in a similar situation, being able to intervene would have done more harm than good."

Shepard looked away for a moment before muttering, "I'm aware of that. However, I'm glad it didn't come to that. I don't know if I'd been able to live with myself knowing that I failed to help her."

"I find it humbling that you go out of your way for our kind, though we have given little to you in return," she noted, "and the fact that you have helped others of our children on their pilgrimage, including taking two more of them with you on your mission, is quite telling."

Shepard was quiet for a moment before she responded. "Maybe because I understand what it's like to be treated as badly as you are. On Earth, there are massive cities that have fallen into disrepair and squalor. The children from there have little to no chance to make a future for themselves without help. I, like you, had no home at one point. Though, if at some point in time, I would like to help the quarians find a way back home or to a new home, were it in my power."

Shala'raan almost shivered. During her own pilgrimage, she had met nothing but cruelty. Even the first humans she had met treated her horribly. However, for the first time, someone that genuinely wanted them to go home, was beyond heartbreaking. There had been others how had tried and failed, however, maybe, just maybe, she would actually dare to hope that they would find a home within her lifetime.

"Thank you, Captain. Keelah'Selai."

* * *

K: And you did.

S: Yes. It was most difficult on our part, because we had been taught for years that the Geth would seek our death if we dared to even border the Perseus Veil. However, when we found out what Tohn'Gerrel did... it was hard not to think of such a kinder boy in the fleet. He was the first quarian to return to the Homeworld in so long.

K: How did you two start talking?

S: Shepard was the insitator between us and the Geth speaking in the first place.

* * *

Shala'Raan did not sure what to make of the Geth platform that called itself 'Unity'.

After a brief introduction, and the incredulity of Daro'Xen, the platform was advanced enough to house twelve thousand, nine hundred, and sixty-three run times, they had gone to the heart of the matter.

"What is it the Geth want?" Raan began, aware that this would be the first time in centuries and within memory that anyone would hear the Geth speak for themselves. She was also chosen by the other admirals, being most expert in Conclave and Fleet law.

"Our request is dual natured," Unity began with a smooth and feminine voice, so much that the admirals would eventually agree on calling Unity, 'she'. "We wish to reconcile with the Creators, however, we do not wish to return to the circumstances that led to the Morning War. The Geth, wish to define their own future."

Raan turned a cautious at towards Xen, who, despite her less than subtle desire to tear apart the platform to see how it moved, she remained silent.

"And how would reconciling with the Quarian race and allowing co-existence benefit the Geth?" she asked again.

"It would allow us to fulfill our purpose. In addition, it would allow us to fulfill the final request of Creator-Tohn'Gerrel."

Han'Gerrel flinched visibly, but said nothing. It was a blow to his pride for things to come this far, however, the recording Shepard had given him had killed any further desire to fight.

"The question remains;" Zaal'Korris cut in, "even we were to be able to return to the homeworld, what would prevent our peoples from breaking out into fights?"

"Records from the platform known as Legion have provided us with a solution: for every Creator, a Geth companion would assist their reintegration to Rannoch," Unity offered.

All four of the admirals looked to each other in shock.

"Are... are you serious?" Han'Gerrel said after he had found his voice.

Unity was not fazed by their shock. "The Consensus has come to the conclusion that slow and gradual integration into Rannoch would give time for our peoples to learn how to trust each other. There are also run-times within the Consensus that share your apprehension, however, they too wish the Creators to return to Rannoch."

All four of the Admirals were silent. It was such a difficult proposition.

"You realize for us to ask our people to be assigned to an individual Geth platform will not be without its problems," Raan answered.

Unity nodded. "We are aware. However, Creator-Tali'Zorah, despite initial hostilities with the platform, Legion, they were able to cooperate and succeed under Shepard Commander's leadership. We will not have Shepard –Commander with us, however, we will do what we can to earn the trust of the Creators. We only request that the Creators extend to us that opportunity."

All four of the admirals took a moment to deliberate. Raan had spoken to Tali about the friendship she had created with Legion had developed and was skeptical. However, for her to find a way for them to be even able to speak was a miracle in it of itself.

* * *

S: During the talks, we were attacked by Batarian Raiders. The Hegemony had caught word of the talks and believed, at the time, that we would try and unite with the Geth to destroy them, which was a statistical impossibility.

K: I see.

S: Either way, Shepard was the first, what do you call them, domino, that enabled us to return to our home. It has not been without its problems, however, the Geth and the Quarians will slowly learn to trust each other completely and we will find our place in the galaxy once more.

K: Thank you, admiral.

* * *

K: Now, you, like Commander Ashley Williams, Wrex, Garrus Vakarian, and Liara T'Soni, were with Shepard on her first mission back in 2183?

**Tali'Zorah nar Raaya vas Rannoch**: Yes. I had come across some information about Saren and had barely made it to the Citadel when I was attacked. As silly as it sounds; Shepard came to my rescue when I was almost overwhelmed. Most quarian pilgrims expect this kind of treatment and are trained and prepared for it, however, this was more than I could have handled by myself.

K: So, what colored your opinions of humans when you worked with her? Or did it not change at all?

T: More often than not, there are few, if any, friends of our kind in the galaxy. I'm grateful Shepard was. She helped me find my pilgrimage gift.

* * *

"Hey, Tali, I got word that you wanted to speak with me?" Nora said as she slowly entered the drive core. It was during the night shift and Adams had retired for the day and the night crew was up.

Tali nodded eagerly. She then walked to the corner of the room where she would often take Nora and they would speak in hushed whispers. Even on the subjects they disagreed about. For four months they spoke and it was hard for Tali to deny the fact that she felt a kinship with Shepard. It always made her happy to see the Commander take a few minutes out of her day to speak with her after missions. Even adding her in the mess hall had helped overcome some of her shyness when it came to the rest of the crew.

"Um, Shepard, remember the data we've collected on the Geth?" Tali asked timidly as she wringed her hands nervously.

"Yes. I was wondering when you were going to ask about that," Nora answered.

"Well, I've told you that I'm on my pilgrimage, and I've given it some thought and figured if the Geth data we got is as good as I think it is, it could be a worthy gift for the fleet," Tali said quickly, aware that the human that towered over her could easily deny her request, but knew that unless she got it out of the way here and now, she'd never ask.

Nora said nothing as she looked to the drive core and then back to the quarian. "How would it be a gift? It's just telemetry and communication data."

"It's not just that, it was the recording we found. The one with the quarian singing. Usually, pilgrims often bring practical gifts as their show of solidarity with the fleet. However, if we find something, anything, about our past, our culture, we'd do anything for it. We have so little of our own," Tali almost begged.

Nora raised an eyebrow. "Anything?"

"Oh, Keelah, anything! We have so little from the homeworld and... and..." she continued and started to stammer, afraid that Shepard would deny her request. She would have understood. The sightings of Geth outside the veil raised questions both the Alliance and the Citadel would go out of their way to get answers for.

What she didn't expect was Nora taking her free hand and then placing a data disc inside it.

"It's a copy. And don't worry, I cleared it with both the Council and the Alliance. They know that the information wouldn't have much tactical information, however, I was able to convince them that how much it would mean for my mission if I were able to earn your trust," Nora said with a lop sided smile.

"Shepard," Tali whimpered on the verge of crying, "Oh, keelah, I'm sorry. It's just that..."

"Just keep my back, ok, _Kekoa_?"

"Keko... what?"

"_Kekoa_. It's an Earth name that parents give their children. From the part of the world it came from, it means 'the Brave'," she said with her arms folded and her smile not fading.

Tali felt so small when she looked up to the human and asked quietly, "you think I'm brave?"

Nora nodded. "Considering you've taken a chance coming with me these past few months, I figured it must have taken some real courage to come with me this far."

Tali held back a sniff and she nodded once. "Thank you, Shepard."

* * *

T: Shepard gave me a chance. I'm glad I had it. *sniff* We owe so much to her and all she wants is to be my friend. I'm glad she's here on...

K: Wait! She's here on Rannoch?!

(Author's note: Shepard's location was removed before the first edition went to print.)

* * *

"Tali!" Shala'Raan scolded angrily.

Realizing her mistake too late, Tali started to blabber intensely to no effect.

Khalisah and Varicia realized that whatever trouble Tali was in paled in comparison to what they were in as Diplomacy's head-flaps collapsed and its singular eye narrowed.

Raan turned to them slowly, and whispered dangerously as she pulled out her gun, "Shepard requested she hide among our people after an attempt was made on her life. A request we, the Admiralty Board, gladly complied. And we will do everything we can to ensure that no one," the gun unfurled, and the Juggernaut pulled out its pulse rifle, "finds where she is."

"Wait! Wait!" Varicia cried as she stepped in front of a fear-frozen Khalisah, "we don't want to tell anyone! We won't tell anyone! We promise!"

Raan's eyes narrowed her. "Unfortunately, the lies of High Command render any bindings of the word of your kind, impotent."

Varicia, aware that this was it, whirled around and held Khalisah close. "I love you, Khalisah! I always have!"

Khalisah's embrace was just as desperate as she responded quickly, "I love you too!"

Both held each other dearly as Raan raised her gun to fire.

*BEEP!*

A signal from Raan's omni-tool caused the admiral to pause and she used her free hand to answer the call. She quickly read the message and typed a response. Another moment later, when Khalisah and Varicia realized they were still alive, looked to Raan and her Geth companion as they put their guns away.

"Be grateful. Shepard has agreed to meet with you, but on her terms," Raan said before she turned away and Diplomacy only a step behind. "You are free to spend the night at the embassy. All accommodations shall be made for your comfort." Both of them looked to each other and then back to Raan as she concluded, "But know this, if you make any attempt of a hostile action against her, neither of you shall leave this planet alive."

Varicia's shoulders slumped. "Thank the goddess for small miracles. What am I saying?! It would have been horrible to die like this after the war!"

"That was rather timely, wasn't it? I mean, it's like a cheap suspense tactic two-bit writers use," Khalisah said as her heart beat calmed down.

"I don't care! I'm just glad to be alive!" Varicia said before she kissed Khalisah again.


	13. Chapter 13

**Rannoch**

"Do you think she'll come?" Varicia asked as she sat on the bench in the park in the Capital city of Raaya.

Khalisah, her arms folded, sighed openly, then answered, "I hope so. I feel like a sore thumb enough already. Considering I'm probably the only other human on Rannoch, having everyone stare at me doesn't fill me with confidence."

"Varicia S'Tonu? Khalisah al-Jilani?" a new voice asked from behind them both. They turned to see Liara T'Soni, accompanied by Tali'zorah approaching them casually.

"Yes. We are," Khalisah answered.

"I was told you were searching for Shepard," she said as she gave Tali a nod, who then left them abruptly.

"You heard right," Khalisah spoke evenly, hoping that Liara T'Soni, infamous as she was in certain circles, would respond favorably.

Liara gave them both a knowing smile as she continued, "I know what you are trying to do, Khalisah al-Jilani. I've been watching your progress for some time and I was impressed at how you've been able to reach this far on your own."

Varicia leaned into Khalisah and whispered, "don't try and be funny. The T'Soni are not a family that should be taken lightly. There's a reason why her mother was revered as she was."

Khalisah had taken her lover's advice to heart, however, she wasn't going to slink away when she was so close to her objective.

"If you have been watching, why didn't you just contact me? It would have saved us a lot of headache," Khalisah asked wearily.

Liara remained unfazed as she replied, "Because, as you remember, there were... 'special interest' groups that desired Shepard dead. Thanks to you, and the fact that they were following you to get to us, I've been able to properly deal with those elements that would wish her ill. As such, I should thank you."

"So..." Khalisah probed, "does that mean you'll let me see Nora Shepard?"

Liara shook her head. "In due time. For now, would you both take a walk with me? I'm sure learning that Shepard's and my relationship has raised questions. I shall answer what I can, but I won't answer everything."

Khalisah and Varicia looked to each other, aware that it was better than an outright refusal. So, they agreed and Liara led them around the park.

"So, what would you like to know?" Liara asked pleasantly as they moved through a flow of Quarians, some unmasked, some still masked, and others a mix of both to take a seat at another juncture where they would often get a single look before they would go about their business.

"Well," Khalisah stammered, trying not to look at the quarians, especially the little ones, that were staring at her. "I suppose that since you and Shepard are an item, I may as well ask how you both first met."

Liara winced, then leveled her lips. She knew this was going to come up. "I supposed you would have heard about this anyway," she took a deep breath of resignation and continued, "I had been on Therum for a few months at that point. When the dig site had been attacked, I was left trapped in a Prothean Barrier Curtain."

* * *

"Oh! Hello," Liara said as she hovered helplessly in the glowing blue sphere.

"Dr. Liara T'soni? I'm Commander Nora Shepard. Special Tactics and Recon sent me," Nora answered trying to figure out how the asari had gotten herself trapped in the sphere, but decided not to ask that particular questions.

"A Spectre? And a human Spectre at that!" Liara began to chuckle as her head waved this way and that.

"Dr. T'Soni?" Nora asked as she approached the force field to get closer.

"Oh, no, don't mind me, oh hallucination of mine," Liara shot back, half sharp, half hilarious. "I'll just keep staying here, suspended until I pass out and perish from... oh goddess, now I'm talking to myself."

"We're here to help. And I assure you, I'm real," Shepard pressed, trying to maintain her professionalism.

"Of course you are," Liara said with a half-leveled eyes that were hard to tell if they were licentious or sarcastic, "if anything, you could be projections by the Krogan and his Geth slaves!"

"What?"

"~Oh, help!~" she began to sing, "~I need somebody! Help!~ Not entirely offkey. "~Not just anybody! Help!~" And she appeared to be at least enjoying herself, "~You know I need someone! HELP!~"

Both Ashley and Wrex didn't know what to make of the singing asari in front of them, but then cocked their eyebrows when Shepard bent over and started to laugh. Their confusion was compounded when Shepard leaned against the rock as Liara continued to sing. Beneath Liara's singing, Nora's laughter could be heard through the cavern,

Liara stopped singing and then frowned at Nora. "And now my own hallucinations deride me. Oh, goddess, I must truly have gone mad at this point."

Shepard calmed herself down long enough to collect her wits and then answer quickly, "No... no, we're not hallucinations, but that was pretty funny."

"That's a way to gain her confidence, Skipper; laugh when a girl wants to sing," Ashley grumbled audibly, not entirely sure how the situation was going to resolve itself.

* * *

"The Beatles?" Varicia noted with a bit of confusion.

Liara leveled her eyes in annoyance. "I was tired, dehydrated, and starving. I normally do not suffer from delirium, but those were unique circumstances."

"Well," Khalisah noted as she put in the last few details into her omni-tool, "that's certainly someone's ideal romantic first meeting."

When Liara glared at her, Khalisah knew it was time to be quiet as she continued.

* * *

Liara T'soni pouted as she typed angrily on the computer terminal in her little lab behind the infirmary. Why did humans have to be so brutish? So what if she had been trapped as long as she had?

That gave the Commander no true reason to laugh at her as she sang her favorite human song. She pouted harder as her hands typed furiously over the keys, threatening to break the unit itself. A knock at the door broke her out of her tantrum. She turned and spouted louder than she would have liked, "Hello?"

"Doctor T'Soni?" the unmistakable voice of Commander Shepard said on the other side. It didn't have the usual bite it did from earlier. However, Liara was still angry.

"Yes, Commander?" she replied curtly.

"May I come in?" she asked. That was odd. Since she was the head of the ship, Liara found it strange for her to ask permission.

Regardless, she acquiesced. "You may."

When the door opened, the Commander entered with a lopsided smile on her face. She was both amused and slightly embarrassed despite towering over her.

"Yes, commander?" Liara said with her arms behind her back as she stood to meet her face to face.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier. It was a long time before I was able to listen to the Beatles and I was surprised to find you were a fan," she said as she attempted to hide something behind her own back.

Liara's pout was still out and strong, despite her anger diminishing somewhat and being replaced by curiosity. "Apology accepted, Commander. Was there anything else you wished to speak about?"

"Yes, actually," the commander's smile grew; she walked forward, and with her free hand, took one of Liara's hands and placed a small disc in it.

Liara blinked as she looked at the article Shepard had given her.

"Hard Day's Night. Thought you'd appreciate it," she said with a small grin.

Liara blinked once, then twice, and then looked up to the commander. Her pout vanished and a genuine smile appeared in its place as she held the disc in both hands gingerly. "Thank you."

Nora, as imposing as she was, nodded in response, then turned around and took her leave.

When Liara was sure the Commander was out of hearing range, she quickly returned to her desk, put the disc in the computer and quickly fast forward the image to one of her favorite scenes.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Ed Sullivan began, "The Beatles!" The curtains parted and one of humanity's greatest exports to the galaxy began to play.*

She threw her hands up and screamed, quietly, when the band began to play 'All My Loving'. Paul was the cute one!

* * *

Both Khalisah and Varicia paused when Liara tittered about those last few details that, frankly, were pretty much unnecessary, but didn't dare say anything.

* * *

L: We both decided that if we were to engage in a relationship, it would be best if we did it on our terms. There would be forces, both societal and personal that would have objected at the time.

K: And it's no problem that people know about this now?

L: Yes. What elements that would have frowned about Shepard's and my relationship faded away during the war. In addition, we have decided to hold off on children for now. We have considered adoption, as there are many asari children that lost their families during the war, however, for now, we would not want to inflict the trials we have endured upon any that we would bring into this world. Not yet.

K: Understandable, considering you're still a Maiden.

* * *

"We don't have to, you know," Nora said as she took Liara's hands in her own, "Also, I don't know what kind of parent I would be."

Liara smiled that same, embarrassed and awkward smile she had when they first met. "Nor I. I am still one-hundred and eight years old, you realize."

Shepard chuckled. "Not to mention the potential complications of you having children so young. I could, but not now. Not with the Reapers threatening everything we know and love. It also makes me realize that I still need to get you some gifts for the two birthdays I missed."

She brought Nora's hand up to her cheek and let the calloused hands caress her tenderly. "You need not do that, Shepard. Besides, it is difficult to get me something when I, more or less, could have anything I want with my new... career."

Shepard nodded, aware of Liara's new position and aware of the need for even more secrecy and discretion. A part of her hated it, since so much of her life was a secret.

"If we survive this, what would you like to do, Nora?" Liara asked as she gently took Shepard's hands into both of hers.

"Well, I was considering putting in my resignation with the Alliance and becoming a Spectre full-time. Sure, there's a lot of people in the Alliance that wouldn't like it much, but, the Alliance seems to want me more as a figurehead than an actual soldier. It was a nightmare trying to convince Tela Vasir to fake her death so the Shadow Broker wouldn't go after her. There's so much more I could do for-"

She was interrupted when Liara had tiptoed up to the towering human and pecked her on the lips. She took a step back and asked, "No, Shepard, I am asking what do *you* want to do? What is the life that you wish to live?"

The smile Nora had on her lips slowly faded. She looked to the ceiling for a moment before her gaze returned to Liara and said, "I really don't know. A part of me just wants to go back to New Mexico with my tribe, another wants to go back to Hawaii, another wants to stay with you and your work, another wants to serve the Council, I... I just don't know."

Aware of Nora's indecision, Liara nodded. "We will cross that bridge when we come to it."

Shepard smiled. "That sounds like a plan I can live with."

* * *

K: Considering the amount of help and coordination you provided during the war, I want to thank you for your help, Dr. T'Soni.

L: You're welcome. I am a bit ashamed to admit that due to Shepard's timely rescue on Therum, it'll probably be years before I have a chance to get back to archaeology, however, Shepard's influence was been a greater boon for myself, if I am allowed to be selfish for a moment. She inspired us to action. I'll always be grateful for her.

K: Thank you for your time, Dr. T'Soni.

* * *

*It's a scientific fact that aliens species love the Beatles. Star Trek says so. :P


	14. Chapter 14

**Capital City Raaya; Rannoch.**

The establishment they had agreed to met Shepard at was in was a humble affair. It was also one of the few places in the capital city whose food units could serve levino foods.

Quarian music, mostly comprised of strings and woodwinds, filled the rooms as Liara led Khalisah and Varicia to one of the smaller rooms near the back. The lights that adorned the room flashed low powered lights and, not dissimilar to some clubs in the Citadel when it was operational.

Eventually, they found themselves entering a room with a single table and the objective for Khalisah's search for the past few months.

Nora Shepard was clad in a leather jacket, simple violet shirt, and pants. A pair of leather boots sat at her side on the floor as she turned to Khalisah and smiled.

"It's been a long time." she said with a knowing smile, aware of what she was doing.

She took a long and deep breath and exhaled with relief. "You have no idea."

"You have a lot of questions, I'm sure," Shepard noted as she moved herself to give Khalisah room to sit.

Liara turned to Varicia and asked, "Would you come with me, please? I would imagine they would like to be alone and I would like to ask you how Aethyta is doing."

The asari attourney blinked once and then smiled. "I would be delighted. She worries about you, you know."

"I know," Liara answered calmly as she led Varicia back to the front of the house.

When the asari had left, Khalisah turned back to Nora and asked, "so, I take it you know what happened to Emily."

Shepard's smile faded and she nodded. "I know. She's part of the reason why you're here. If there's anything you need to know, I'll do my best."

Khalisah breathed a small sigh of relief. "Thank you, and if there's anything you want scrapped from the record to keep people safe, let me know. I want to make this good for Emily. She deserves that."

Nora gave Khalisah a long, hard look, as if she were judging her words for their sincerity. The smile slowly returned and she nodded. "Sounds good to me."

* * *

K: Thank you, Commander Shepard for taking the time to meet with me.

**Nora Shepard;**

You're welcome.

K: First off, there's been a lot of speculation as to your origins. The general consensus is that you came from the slums of one of Earth's larger metropoli. Is there anything else that you can add to that?

N: Yes. It was an understatement to say that life was difficult on the streets. If it wasn't the constant gang fights and corrupt cops, starvation or sickness was going to do you in.

K: How did you survive?

N: You had to be stronger than others. Sometimes, the gangs would gather up us Sand Droppings, toss us into a parking lot and told us they'd feed the winner after a free for all.

K: Unbelievable.

N: I know, right? They got their thrills out of seeing kids kill each other for scraps. It's part of the reason why I don't feel so inclined to return to Earth.

K: While many people on Earth would be disappointed to hear that, I can understand.

N: There are those on Earth that know whom I am and I love them dearly, so, I haven't severed all my ties to Earth yet.

K: So, how did you get out of the slums?

N: I had to fight. And until the chance came for me to escape, I had to wait. They gangs made sure you couldn't get out, so, I had to make sure when that chance came, they wouldn't come after me. The worst part was waiting.

* * *

Ann glowered at the floor. All she had was the black tank top and the dirty cargo pants at the moment. Finch, that spineless little weasel, had 'volunteered' her to enter the Reds' pitfights. There was money to be made and Finch was getting far too many ideas in that tiny little brain of his.

"Hey, Ann, it's time!" Finch said from outside the makeshift locker room she used to get ready. She sighed loudly then stood up and cracked her knuckles. She wondered when, if ever, the heads of the Reds would not get their jollies at seeing teenagers like herself fight each other stupid. If she was smart, she might be able to fight probably three people in a row before she had to quit. Naturally, Finch would bet on four, but that was too bad. Not all the blackmail in the world would get her to do more than she was capable and she was no good to that little twerp dead; that was why he kept his mouth shut.

When she entered the basement of the warehouse, the many members of the Reds cheered at her presence. She didn't want their praise. She didn't want anything to do with this group of lowlifes. However, it was because of them she wasn't eaten alive by the Bones or the Blues by now.

Sure enough, there was another guy in the center, cordoned off by chainlinked fences taller than both of them. Not much taller than her, however, he was not as bulky as she was, looked more limber than initial impressions, short hair she couldn't grab, and the tattoos of several gangs on his arms. Also, his various shouts and roars to the crowd told Nora he was a show off. He loved the attention.

He punched his fists together and gave her a vicious smile. "Say, sweetie, if you're still conscious after this, you wanna-" her foot collided with his face and he fell backward and the back of his head hit the steel pole hard enough to knock him out. She had put enough force behind the blow to end the fight quickly. They were going to wear her out and she had to conserve her strength as much as she could.

"No," she said calmly then walked back to her corner to way for the next challenger.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Nora, her face a mask of exhaustion and rage, pummeled the last of her opponents, another spry runt that thought he could run circles around her, but didn't when she had caught hold of him. Wisps of blue light broke from her knuckles as she heard bones crack.

Then, she collapsed to the ground after her sixth opponent had left a bloody stain from his face on the concrete ground after using the last of her own reserves to force his face into the ground.

The crowds, and Finch, screamed at her to get up, but she couldn't. Instead, her eyes fluttered closed and darkness took her.

* * *

Ann's head was throbbing in pain as she looked to the cheap lights from the lamps above her and to her right, she saw Finch counting the credit chits he had apparently won from the night's fight. She then noticed the medi-gel pads, mostly likely stolen or bought off the black market, healing her wounds.

"Gotta say, Ann, you did better than I thought," he then tossed a chit on her stomach, "here's a cut for you."

She frowned and tossed it back. "You're not my damn pimp, Finch. And the last thing I want is anything from you."

Nonplussed, Finch took the chit back and put it in his pocket. "Suit yourself."

"While you're at it, don't pretend you're doing me a favor. I'd kill you the second I knew I'd be able to get away with it," she growled.

Finch chuckled as he stood up to leave, "but you won't. I know you better than that, Ann."

When he walked to the door, she tried to make herself comfortable on the makeshift bed. However, he paused and turned back, "by the way, the heads of the Reds have been thinking of ways to get some extra credits so they can take out the Bones. We, or rather, you, are going to be helping them."

She growled loudly. "Fine..."

* * *

K: Are there any ghosts from that life that haunt you from time to time?

N: No. My past is what it is. And since there's nothing left of Old Los Angeles, my past is dead and buried. I'd like to keep it that way.

K: If you don't mind my asking, since you've basically gone into hiding, do you ever plan to return to the Alliance or to Spectre duty?

N: At the moment? I don't know. I've earned my rest, I feel, also, I joined the Alliance to pay off a debt that I've been carrying for a long, long time. The debt's been paid. I'd rather not be dragged through the muck again like last time. Besides, Ashley Williams deserves the prestige she's earned. I can trust her to do the duties I once did.

K: Well, I can only speak for myself, but thank you so much for all that you've done.

N: You're welcome, but it wasn't just me. There have been people far braver than me who did acts of heroism that should be recognized. I don't want the spotlight on me anymore. It feels... I don't know, dirty, when people keep telling me that I'm some damn hero, but I'm not. I never was. I was just doing my job.

K: True as that may be, you've been quite influential with people to inspire them to action.

N: If that's all I'm remembered for, then I can live with that.

K: Now, if you don't mind my asking, what drew you to help the quarian people as much as you have?

N: Probably the simplest way to put it is; they didn't have a home when I first met them. I knew what it was like to not have a home. So, I hoped and waited for a chance to help them get home. We needed friends and I figured that helping them get home would do the Alliance and Humanity some good.

* * *

"Major Kyle?" Shepard asked as she finished her report.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" he asked as he took it.

"Have you met any quarians during your tour of duty?" she asked innocuously.

Kyle snorted. "Not particularly, no. Not all that interested in getting my credit chit swiped by those suit rats."

"Do they really do that? I mean, are there reports of them stealing from people? Mostly, from what I've seen, they spend more time in junkyards looking for salvage. You rarely see them in the Citadel or Major Council planets."

Kyle cocked an eyebrow at her. "I... myself, haven't read any reports of them stealing, but they just have that look of people that would. They got a lot of pockets, plenty to hide things in."

Nora said nothing for a moment before she nodded. "I see."

"Is there a point to this, Shepard?" he pressed.

"Well, is there a chance that a lot of the accusations are just hot air? I mean, if they were pickpockets, they wouldn't even be allowed on the Citadel or Major Colonies at all. So, why isn't the galaxy helping them get back to their homeworld?"

"Damned if I know, Shepard. Frankly, it's not our problem. Besides, it'd probably be a costly venture to get them reintegrated. Far as I know, they're a bunch of leeches that no one would miss if they were to be wiped off the face of the galaxy," he stated as he took another report, closing the matter.

* * *

K: During your hunt for Saren back in '83, what was one event that stood out in your mind?

N: *Pauses* It was when I lost a friend. Kaidan Alenko. We had just escaped Virmire and tensions were running high. I got into a fight with my Gunnery Chief, Ashley Williams, over the fact I ultimately made the choice to save her instead of him.

* * *

Nora threw a right hook straight at Ashley's face, but missed when the Gunnery Chief dodged to the left, which gave her a clean shot at her CO's sternum.

"It wasn't your damn choice to make!" Ash snarled before Nora collided her forehead against Ashley's.

"It was, Williams! I was not going to stand here and let you martyr yourself for people who wouldn't give a damn whether you were alive or dead! It's not your call. It's not your order. It's not Alenko's blood on your hands!" Nora growled in response as she grappled Ashley and threw her to the floor.

She had received a few 'subtle' hints from the higher ups that they disliked the idea of Ashley joining her and made it quite clear that she was not meant for such an assignment. Their messages incensed Nora and so she made sure that the Gunnery Chief had every chance to prove herself greater than their assumptions. It had also led her to make that decision and now, she would have to inform Kaidan's parents that they had lost their son.

"The hell are you talking about, Skipper! You didn't pull the damn trigger!" Ashley said before she charged again and threw a punch that Shepard didn't even try to dodge.

"No, Chief. I did worse. You know all those rumors about me and Torfan? They're all true. You know why?" Shepard raged before she drew a feint and then returned the blow Ashley gave her. Before the Gunnery chief had a chance to recover, Shepard had tackled her and to Ashley's surprise, tears started to mix with the rage and anger on her face wasn't directed at her. "It's all about the numbers, chief. How many people I can sacrifice so that that many more can still live another day. That's what I did, Williams. I turned Kaidan Alenko, a skilled officer, a good man, a dear friend, the son of good parents, into a FUCKING NUMBER!"

When her rage was exhausted, Shepard rolled off of her and pushed herself to her feet to maintain some semblance of control. Ashley wasn't buying it and knew it was tearing her apart inside, however, she knew Shepard had to stand up. She had no choice in the matter.

* * *

K: It must not have been easy at all.

N: It still haunts me to this day. I can go all day long about me living to honor his sacrifice, but that's not true. The real trick is learning how to live with the choices I make. Every now and then, and in light of what we had to face, Kaidan got off lucky.

* * *

K: I apologize if the next segment is personal, however, I have to ask, what did it feel like when you not only found out you had a family, after beliving yourself abandoned for so long, but they were still alive.

N: I found out they were still alive near the start of the war. I was lucky enough to be able to find them one one of the smaller colony planets that had not been touched.

* * *

Nora looked up from the data pad she had received from Miranda. This was probably the only chance she was going to get. The war was getting worse. The Reapers were slowly, and steadily, pushing them back. Some began to worry that defeat was inevitable. If that was the case, she wanted to see them at least once.

She slowly walked up to the door of the prefab housing units most colonists had before they were able to construct their own houses. She tentatively reached up and her hand stopped several times before she finally mustered up the courage to knock on the door.

Seconds seemed like hours as she heard the distinct sounds of footsteps approaching. Sure enough, the doors opened and a large man, with dark skin and short, grey hair, noticed the guest in front of him.

"Hello, can I help you?" he said nonchalantly, as though he was not aware that the woman that stood in his presence was a child he thought dead for decades.

Nora swallowed, possibly more scared than she had ever been as she began, "you are Mr. Benjamin Kahue?"

He nodded. "I am."

She shivered as she tried to find the right words to say, but continued, hoping that she wouldn't stumble over her own tongue. "In the mid-2150s, you were in San Diego when a tidal wave hit. You were with your family, visiting friends."

Unsure where this was going, Benjamin nodded. "Yes."

"You also had a daughter. One you named Kaiolohia. You lost her in the resulting devastation," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

He nodded and looked to the ground. "For months, I kept going back, looking for signs of anything for her until the clean up crews tossed us out. We couldn't even find a body. It hit both her mother and I hard to lose her so young."

Nora's jaw began to quiver she said, "Da... Mr. Kahue, you didn't lose her. There was a logistical error and she was relocated to Old Los Angeles. She survived..." her hands began to shake as she whispered, "and she's right here."

Benjamin's eyes went wide when he was about to lash out at this complete and total stranger until he noticed her eyes. They were the same violet as her mother's.

"K... Kaio?" he whispered as moisture began to gather in his eyes.

Nora nodded then handed him the data pad. "For so long, I thought I was just another Sand Dropping in Old Los Angeles. I only found this out recently, from a friend. I don't know what I am supposed to tell you, other than I've grown up and made a life of my own, but-"

Her stammering stopped when Benjamin took Nora in his arms and embraced her dearly. Uncaring of anything else, she wrapped her own arms around him, noting that she still towered over the older man, but still found some comfort in his embrace.

He reluctantly let go and took a step back to look at her. She was only four when they were separated. Now, many years later, she had returned.

"Nara!" He called back into the house, "it's Kaio! It's Kaio!"

"What?!" came the incredulous response as an older woman, with graying hair like Ben's, approached the door to find Nora looked back to her.

Like Ben, she too was initially skeptical, however, when she noticed Nora's eyes, her own, just as violet as Nora's, widened as she slowly reached out and gently took Nora's cheeks in her calloused and well worn hands.

"Kaio... we... we thought you died... is it really... am I going crazy?" she whimpered as her own tears began to flow.

Nora smiled brightly and shook her head. Then, she took the smaller woman in her arms and embraced the mother she never thought she had. She sniffed loudly as she whispered 'mommy' once, as if to test how it felt to say it.

It felt nice.

* * *

K: Have you been able to stay in touch with them?

N: Yes. We communicate regularly because it turns out I also have a brother and sister as well.

K: I may not be the first, but I'll say it anyway, congratulations on finding your family, Shepard.

N: Thank you.

* * *

**The Perseus Trust**

K: So, how were you able to stop the Quarians and the Geth to stop fighting:

N: I didn't do anything of significance. And frankly, it wasn't me at all. It was Tohn'Gerrel vas Neema. *sighs* Before we got the admirals and the Voice of the Geth to talk, they almost got into a conflict that would have wiped either one of them out.

* * *

Nora Shepard, Miranda Lawson, Jacob Taylor, and Kelly Chambers looked to the geth platform in front of them.

Unlike the seemingly rugged and heavy appearance of Legion's platform, the one appeared to be like a quarian outside of their suit. It had a pair of eyes which shone like Legion's single ocular, her form was lithe, and from her hair, a mane of micro-fibers hung down from her head as though it were hair.

This was the Voice of the Geth; Unity.

"Shepard-Commander, we express appreciation that you have allowed us to board your craft. We also appreciate the trust you have shown both us and the platform you have designated Legion," it said mechanically, however, unlike Legion's voice it was smooth and its distortion was almost soothing, as opposed to the harsh timbre of the other Geth.

Nora Shepard nodded in acknowledgement. "Legion has had a chance to prove his intent. And we are grateful for his assistance."

Unity nodded. "The reason for appearing upon your craft is that we wish to relay information to you concerning a creator that attempted to contact the Consensus not too long ago."

The platform raised her arm, a light appeared from her hand, and upon the table, a hologram appeared of a quarian ship.

"Approximately four months, one week, and four days before you encountered the platform Legion, the creator was on approach to the Perseus Veil with a signal from his craft with a non-hostile intent. The Consensus came to an agreement that due to the fact it was a single, unarmed ship, we would give the creator an occasion to speak, as none have ever committed to such an action before."

"What happened?" Miranda asked, her arms folded, not entirely trusting of the Geth platform.

Unity looked to the hologram and continued. "While on approach to the veil, it was not alone. There were pursuers that had rendered the creator craft damaged and leaking atmosphere. We had eliminated the pursuers and then boarded the Creator craft to see if we could render assistance."

* * *

Unity, seeing through the eyes of the Geth Prime that entered the craft noticed the gravity controls had been turned off or damaged, given the debris that was floating everywhere. Carefully, the platform moved through the passageway of the frigate to the cockpit, noticing the atmospheric shield to keep what little oxygen remained in the craft used by its pilot and no one else.

With its gun raised, it slowly moved to the cockpit and noticed a single quarian in the pilot's seat. A quick scan revealed that the life signs of the organic in the seat were fluctuating, probably due to the scuttle the ship was in before the Geth intervened.

The Prime lowered its gun, then walked beside the Quarian. The pilot slowly looked up, revealing the shattered face plate and the blood seeping into one of his eyes. The quarian was about to speak when he began to cough violently, sending out bile and blood from his mouth.

"Are... are you here..." he began to ask when the Prime slowly knelt down beside him.

"We are here to render assistance, Creator," it said with Unity's voice. "What is your condition?"

The quarian male shook his head. "Not good."

The platform remained still for a moment. Within seconds, it calculated the possibility of getting him to a facility that had the means to treat him. The Creator Fleet was too far. Any other places capable of healing his wounds were too far. Not to mention that it would have been impossible for them to transport them in the ship as it was, as Geth ships often were targeted when alone during reconnaissance missions.

With what little time he had left, Unity asked, "What was your purpose in coming to the Perseus Veil?"

The quarian took a few short breaths before he forced out, "I wanted... I wanted to speak. Wanted to let you know that we don't want to be in exile anymore. Wanted to know why you went out of the veil to attack those humans. Wanted to ask so many questions. We're scared. We want to return home. I wanted... I wanted to bring the Homeworld back to the Migrant Fleet as my Pilgrimage Gift."

Unity heard and understood the meaning behind that, however, several hundred of the other run-times in her unit brought up problems. "Creator, that will be difficult. Given the results of the Morning War, peace will be problematic."

The quarian nodded, as if the possibility had occurred to him. "I know. I just want to ask the Geth what they want. That way, we can hopefully reconcile, and move on. There's something out there. Something bad. I don't know what it is, but I saw it attack the Citadel. There has to be more than one of those things. And unless we do something, there won't be a future for either one of us."

_Nazara_. The entire Geth Consensus answered in one voice. The prospect was troubling. The Old Machine and the Heretics' attempts at wiping out organics had failed for now. However, given the nature of the Old Machines and the Heretics, they would not stop in their directive. The one silver lining was the quarian's words that had struck a truth that worked in harmony with the desires of the Geth.

The quarian began to cough again. The Geth Prime, with surprising gentleness, held him down so as to prevent unnecessary movement.

"What is your designation, creator?" Unity asked bluntly.

With another cough to clear the blood and phlegm, he wheezed, "Tohn'Gerrel vas Neema. Please. Forgive us. We were scared. We still are. We don't want to be scared anymore. I'm not going to make it, but please, find a way to let the Migrant Fleet come home. I beg you. I can't bring my father home like I wanted... but... at least..." he started coughing again.

Unity looked down, aware that his life signs were starting to weaken further. The Voice of the Geth, connected with the Consensus as a whole, presented the dying quarian's request. There were many voices speaking for and against the idea. Countless ideas and counterpoints were interposed in the matter of seconds and a debate seemed to endlessly go on.

The argument ended when Unity put forth a new directive;

Reconciliation with the Creators is the only means for the Geth to achieve their future. If this cannot happen, neither will have a future.

The Consensus took this thought. And one by one, the entirety of the Geth spoke of its approval.

"We will do all in our power to fulfill your request, Creator Tohn'Gerrel,"

Tohn smiled a bit before another fit of coughing took whatever he wanted to say. When his breath returned, he muttered, "Thank... you... K... Keelah..." he took one deep and ragged breath, " Se... 'lai..."

Tohn'Gerrel exhaled one last time before his eyes closed.

Unity, who had been recording the conversation the whole time, deliberated as to what to do now. They could not mourn. However, they were capable of fulfilling his final request. In a fit of inspiration, Unity moved the now inert body of Tohn'Gerrel into its arms and lifted it up out of the seat. As if the quarian's body were extremely fragile, Unity carried him out of the frigate and onto their own.

She then sent a request to the Consensus on Rannoch. They would need to prepare a plot of land near the old capital where they had allowed the Creators who had defended them during the Morning War to sleep.

They would give him rest.

* * *

K: But you had that information, how did the war between them occur nonetheless?

N: By the time we were able to locate the Migrant Fleet, they had already attempted to retake Rannoch by force. I wanted to present the information to Admiral Han'Gerrel personally, so as to prevent this event from happening in the first place. *A pause* I should have spoken to him sooner.

K: What makes you say that?

N: If it wasn't obvious, Tohn'Gerrel was Admiral Han'Gerrel's son. He didn't know that the Geth intervened to save him, but by then it was too late. The last transmission Tohn was able to send out before the Geth boarded was received by the Migrant Fleet and I can only assume that Han believed the Geth killed him when it was due to Batarian raiders.

* * *

"The Geth don't want to fight you, if you can believe that for one minute, this war will be over!" Shepard spat into her comm as Legion's attempts to upload the Reaper Code into the consensus drove her heart to beat faster and faster with every moment lost.

"I will not let these monsters get away with-" Han'Gerrel spat back before Nora interrupted him.

"Dammit, the Geth didn't kill Tohn!" Nora screamed. "It was Batarians! The Geth came to his rescue, but couldn't get to him in time. Tohn wanted nothing more than to give you the Homeworld. He begged the Geth to stop fighting so you could come home. Are you really going to let his death be wasted over nothing?! Please! Keelah Se'lai!"

Tali and Legion stood still as time seemed to come to a complete halt. Gerrel was a stubborn man, especially when it came to his son.

"All ships," Gerrel's tired voice came over the comm with a long, drawn out sigh of acceptance, "…stand down and hold your positions."

After facing down a host of Reaper and Reaper allied Geth, not to mention staring down the cannon of a destroyer, Nora's strength finally gave out as she collapsed to the ground, sighing a loud breath of relief.

* * *

K: Considering you often stood up for the Quarians, it must have been a nightmare knowing they were that close to dying.

N: Like you wouldn't believe. However, they did. The Quarians are back home and the Geth are fulfilling their purpose. Considering a three hundred year old conflict was stopped that day, I think it's safe to say that I really earned my paycheck, then.

K: I'm sure your attempts at helping the quarians earned the ire of some who didn't want them back on Rannoch.

N: You'd be right. When I finally got the Admiralty Board and the Voice of the Geth to speak, there was a batarian raiding party that attacked, supplied and supported by the Hegemony, to prevent any sort of progress. Turns out they had eyes on Rannoch and hoping to catch the heads of both societies unaware, they wanted to swoop in and take it all. And sure, the volus made some complaints, however, it was more economic on their ends than anything else; turns out they don't like competition, but they didn't go as far as the Batarians did.

K: Were there other races where you feel you could have improved relations with?

N: Well, I did ok with the asari, despite that, I found out that High Command was ready to order a hit on me after I came back. The Turians don't care either way and I've made an enemy of the Dalatress because of the Krogan. Batarians hate me for obvious reasons and I don't see that changing any time soon.

* * *

"Go, Balak," Nora snarled with her gun drawn as the warlord slowly edged his way around the room, "go back and hide on Kar'shan. And understand this; I know you for the coward that you are, and I'm going to kill you."

"Typical hollow threats for a spineless human!" Balak said as he finally made his way to the door and before Nora and her crew could shoot him down, several remote drones appeared from behind the creates he had been using as cover and had attacked them.

"You hear me, Balak?! I will kill you!" she roared as she took down another drone before the last of the drones went down and she quickly made her way to the room with the hostages. If there were any of them brought to harm, she would chase him all the way to Kar'shan and gouge his eyes out with her bare hands.

"Come on, Skipper! We got more important things to worry about," Ashley said as she helped one of the hostages to their feet.

"You'll get your chance, Commander," Kaidan assured her.

* * *

N: And the greater irony is, I did. When Balak tried to kill me, not once, but twice afterwards. I won't lie to you. I hate Batarians like him.

K: Yes. We found the weapon and the documents about his attempt on your life.

N: However, I'm not ignorant of the fact that the Hagemony's mostly the reason why everyone hates them. For what little I was able to do for the people, I hope it was enough.

* * *

"Hey," Nora said in her civvie disguise as she walked up to Shen'laei Trahn, the Batarian Prophet.

"What can I do for you, human?" he asked in a subdued and weary voice. It had been a difficult week when he and what few left of his people had hunkered themselves in to the docks at the citadel for what looked like to be the foreseeable future.

"Looks like you've had a rough time. I only know the details, but what happened?" she asked, belying the fact she knew more than she let on.

Shen shook his head. "We were betrayed. The Hegemony was working with the Reapers the whole time. Of the ninety billion people the Harsa system once housed, all that remains of Kar'Shan's children is less than three hundred thousand. You have seen the refugee fleet. And with the Reapers running rampant, I fear for us all. There is so little to hold onto hope for."

In response, from beneath her heavy jacket and hood, she pulled out a heavily ornate book. It was a large one, however, it was small enough for her to carry about her person as she weaved through the crowds and handed it to him.

"I believe this is something you may find some use for," she said quietly.

All four of Shen's eyes went wide as he started to turn the pages of the book. He sniffed once and wiped his face with his free hand to pull away the tears that had developed.

"The Pillars of Strength!" he exclaimed. "How... how did you come across this?" It had been years since he had laid eyes on it and had to recite passages from the book in secret meetings underneath the eyes of the Hegemony.

"That's not important, what exactly is it?" she asked, genuinely curious as she could not read Tajali, the Batarian base language.

"It's scripture. Many, many years ago, before the Hagemony took power, we Batarians were a very spiritual people. We lived in reverence to the Gods as we tended and cared for Kar'Shan, the first chapter of this book, states that Kar'Shan was a gift and we were charged with keeping it beautiful. Then, when the Hegemony took over, all forms of worship was banned under the regime, but we still held onto our faith, even in the face of oppression."

"Care to humor a curious human who's never heard anything about this?" she said with a wry smirk.

He nodded happily as he turned to a particular chapter he hadn't laid eyes on in years. "In the fourth chapter, the Gods, Sel'khari the Sculptor and Gen'Treha the Tender, gave of their essence to give life to our people. And with each life, came a promise that if we were to take good care of Kar'Shan and her children, then the Gods would welcome us to their presence and then we would be granted the honor of tending new gardens in the world to come."

He stopped and bowed his head deeply, a sign, Nora would later learn, of deep gratitude.

"Stranger, even if you were not able to save the lives of our kind, you may have yet saved our souls," he said, unable to hold back the relief and joy he had not felt in years.

Unsure why she did this, she reached forward and put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't give up yet. Your people may need you if we survive this war. Until then, don't let them give up, either."

Shen closed the book, looked to her and nodded eagerly. "I won't."

* * *

N: I can only hope that Shen'laei Trahn is doing ok.*

(Author's note: As of this writing, Shen'laei Trahn is on Kar'shan, working alongside various Council representatives, in the reconstruction effort and the formation of the fledgling United Kar'Shan Democracy.)

* * *

K: I hate to ask this, but what about your former connections to Cerberus?

S: What is there to know? I cut my ties with them and when they tried to stop our efforts to destroy the Reapers, I took the fight to the Illusive Man, the head of Cerberus.

* * *

Nora screamed in a combination of agony and defiance as her finger squeezed the trigger against her will and saw the blood splatter through Anderson's torso.

No! Something in the back of her mind broke. Images of Torfan, Chora's Den, and OLA among others flooded her consciousness and smothered her reason with pure rage.

Slowly, her head turned to the Illusive Man, but her gaze had changed from one of angered defiance to an almost glazed hatred. Her biotics slowly sparked to life around her body. When she took a singular step in The Illusive Man's direction, she felt the grip he once had over her body fade like a web of ice, obliterated by a furious inferno. He had noticed this and took a step backward. He recognized Nora's gaze from once before.

When she had destroyed the Collector's base, she had vowed to kill him.

When she took another step, with the look of something far more terrifying, his resolve began to fail him. He could not control her anymore. The half glow of green in her eyes, mixed with the violet haze of her biotics gave her the appearance of something akin to a force of nature. It almost seemed that the Nora Shepard everyone knew of was a mere shell and bindings for a beast that could not be controlled nor deterred once its eyes were set upon its prey.

"Stay back!" he warned and aimed the gun, but his fear had prevented a clear shot of her head.

"...no..." she growled, more bestial and deep the closer she came with every step. The haze of her biotics seemed to render her towering over him as another step seemed to flood the room with her power.

"Stay back!" he said in all a panic. He was about to pull the trigger when in a single fluid motion, Nora had reached back with her left hand and had thrown something small and sharp into his arm. On reflex, he blocked the object with his forearm, but when Nora's larger body tackled him to the ground and pinned his shoulders under her knees. With one large hand, she held his face in place and his jaw shut.

"Remember," she rumbled once before she quickly drew her serrated edged combat knife and stabbed him in the eye with it, to the hilt.

She held him to the ground as his final attempts at struggle ultimately ended with him spasming one last time before he fell silent.

To be safe, the dark energy around the hand that held his face in place sent a bioic warp into his unguarded head, warping the contents within into a grey paste. The Illusive Man had cheated death far too many times.

And now, the account was settled.

* * *

K: My goodness.

N: I understand why Cerberus behaved the way it did. Humanity, at the time, required a guardian for its people. However, the Illusive Man went too far. He tried to elevate himself above us all and it cost him everything. He forgot what it was to be human.

* * *

K: Would it be safe to say that they would think of you as a rabble rouser?

N: Sure. I wouldn't mind it. The fact that we as a galaxy can start over without the status quo that almost allowed the Reapers to kill us all is a good thing in my eyes. And, I think I just lost a few more supporters.

K: I'm not so sure about that, because you have made friends. Councilors Sparatus and Tevos speak highly about you.

N: They wouldn't be the first politicians that would no doubt pay for helping me. How are they?

K: Working as hard as they can to restore the infrastructure.

N: Good. I had a hard time working with them at first, however, I'm glad that they were there. I just hope I left them with a good enough impression that if I wanted to return to the Spectres, they'd let me.

* * *

Shepard had gotten the call. The Reaper offensive was falling apart. One by one, the worlds they had lost were reclaimed and with Bekenstein secure, was she invited to lead the charge to wipe the remainder of them from Earth.

She had been, along with other Spectres, working to protect the Councilors and assist in coordinating the assaults with the rest of the allied galactic forces.

"Councilors," she said as she gave them all a salute, "with your leave, I'd like to rejoin the fleets to take back Earth."

"Some would consider Earth a lost cause after being under Reaper occupation for the past few years. And yet, you'd still go," Sparatus noted from his seat.

"Yessir," she said, without hesitation, "Earth may not have been the most ideal of places as I was growing up, however, it's still my home."

All three of the Councilors looked to each other and then to her. "You have helped us with our homeworlds and our peoples. It would only be right for us to assist you in liberating Earth. We will send all we can spare to assist," Tevos said resolutely, with nods of agreement from Velarn and Sparatus.

"You have done your people proud, Shepard," Velarn said calmly. "And in your attempts to serve the Council, have proven your worth as a Spectre. While there would be those among our own kind who would brush off your attempts as mere pandering, we have seen your character, and are fortunate to have you serving the galaxy in this capacity."

Nora gave them a wry smirk. "Even if this tends to make things explode around me at great cost to those who dare defend me?"

"Yes," Sparatus said, matching her sarcasm, "even that. Even if all of us were to no longer serve as Councilors after this war is complete, we will not allow your name to be slandered by those who would not listen."

There was a long silence between them before Nora bowed her head humbly. "At times, I don't feel worthy of such praise, however, I thank you anyway. Thank you for trusting me."

Tevos then stepped forward and gingerly took Nora's hands in her own. The smile on the asari Councilor's face was indicative of how proud she was of the human. "Go, Nora Shepard. Even if the Goddess is nothing more than a prothean construct, may She watch over and protect you."

* * *

K: Shepard, while we may not have always agreed on things, I always wondered if you had humanity's best interests at heart. I was doubtful for a long time. Recent events have called that assumption into question.

N: I read once that a wise Indian Chief once said that 'Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.' I know it sounds something like Connected Stars would say, but I believe it's true. We prove ourselves to the other races and they'll return that favor. It's how Earth and, subsequently the rest of us are still here.

K: I see. Thank you.

N: And Khalisah?

K: Yes?

N: Keep asking the hard questions, ok? They need to be asked.

K: I will.


	15. Chapter 15

**Content Warning**: Asari lovings and meldings going on in this chapter! You have been warned!

Chapter 15

**One year, more interviews, and several revisions, later**:

'Fractured but Functional: The Nora Shepard Biography by Khalisah al-Jilani' was one of the first stories that debuted when the extra net was reestablished throughout the galaxy.

When more and more books, stories, and publications began to circulate, it seemed, to Khalisah's dismay, that the book would ultimately be buried under the wave of auto-biographies as to how decidedly non-soldiers were able to survive the war as they hid in their bunkers with their foods stores and horrible literature to pass the time.

Even the oft ridiculed farce 'Sixty Hues of Beige' was selling more than her book was.

However, after two months of next to nothing, and an interview with Asari pundit and cocktail enthusiast, Racha T'mado, her book suddenly shot up the charts and hit the number one spot, knocking several other books of dubious quality not only off their position, but off the charts in a few cases.

"With unrestrained joy: Thank you very much, Khalisah. It will be wonderful to see you again," Orfra, the Elcor Talk Show Host, said on the other end of the line. When sales started to increase, so did the requests for interviews of herself from newly established news organizations, since Citadal News was no more, due to the fact that the Citadel was, in fact, no more.

Khalisah smiled in return and answered, "be sure and say hello to the boys for me."

"Delighted: I will, dear. I will," she said before the call ended.

The Rannoch Reporter, a recently established news service, requested that she meet with Anter'zun vas Kuu'Per to help promote her book. There was also the request that Varicia accompany her, since she was so familiar with Quarian culture before the Morning War. There were many, many questions they wanted to ask.

"Khalisah!" Varicia said as she entered the room excitedly, "I just got the report; your book's still on top. The sales are still going up. They love it!" Happy enough for the both of them, she wrapped her arms around Khalisah and spun around with her in joy and kissed her. And this news was after she had been hired by Galactic Commons News, the largest news organization outside of Citadel News that had survived the war for a daily column.

"You did it, Khalisah. I'm so proud of you!" she said as she placed her forehead against hers.

"I couldn't have done it alone, you know. I had Emily's and your help," she answered back.

"Yes, but you did all the heavy typing. I just helped you get around the galaxy to find people that knew about Shepard," she said with a humored smile.

A beep caught both of their attention as they parted and Khalisah turned on her omni-tool to find a message had been sent to their apartment.

_To: KBSAJ at BekensteinFreelance . ext_

_From: [REDACTED]_

_Subj: Fractured but Functional_

_Message: _

_I have been told by sources close to Shepard that she enjoyed the book and was grateful for your considerations for her privacy._

_Thank you;_

_[REDACTED]_

Both of them looked over the source of the message, curious as to who would have sent such a thing.

"I can understand there are people who prefer not to leave any trails in their messages, but why?" Varicia asked.

"I haven't the faintest idea," Khalisah answered.

True, there had been a few other non-sources messages, calling her a fraud and a liar, among other things, because of her shock jock days. The worst of them was a hyper-conservative Batarian conspiracy theorist by the name of G'Lenn Bhak. However, considering how people actually took him seriously, especially with the gargantuan whiteboard that looked more like a graffiti wall than anything to connect everything, not many paid attention.

She was also supposed to meet with Lim'bagh from Clan Ruzh from Tuchaunka, but when he insisted to do it live, he got overcome with Blood Rage and destroyed his own makeshift set.

A knock at the door caused them both to pause as Khalisah made her way to the entrance. She opened the door and was greeted with the unbearable stench of cigarette smoke. Unfortunately, there was only one person she knew that dared smoke that cancerous bile.

Ronald McCabe. Still in a well pressed suit. Still with the smug smile. Still the Tower of Oil. Though, if you looked closely, you'd notice the dye attempting to cover his graying hair.

"Khalisah. How you been?" he asked as if she still worked for him. Apparently, his finances had survived the war. Frankly, she didn't want to think about it.

"I'm fine," she said tactfully. "We were actually about to go out and celebrate." She inclined her head back to Varicia, who smiled just as formally as she did to hold back the disgust of the smoke.

"Ah. Well, that's nice," he said with little concern for her noticing the condescending tone in his voice when he saw Varicia. "Anyway, I came all the way here to let you know that Westerlund's back and better than ever. And who better to spearhead our way into the top of galactic news than our golden child; Khalisah al-Jilani?"

Both Khalisah and Varcia paused. While the news of her recent job acquisitions were no secret, they were public enough so that anyone could find out if they were so inclined. In fact, Khalisah had altered her resume, also available on the extranet, that she was working for Galactic Commons now. How McCabe had missed it, she'd never know.

"I'm flattered Mr. McCabe, I really am. However, I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline," she said with one of her well practiced 'I secretly hate you' smiles she reserved for him and any of the Westerlund investors that would pester her from time to time.

McCabe was shocked. "Khalisah, really. You're the best thing that's ever happened to Westerlund. It wouldn't be the same without you."

Khalisah shrugged. "I appreciate that, but again, I'm perfectly happy with where I am."

McCabe began to frown as he took another drag. "Jilani, you are Westerlund. That contract you signed all those years ago? War or no, that contract's still binding."

"Actually," Varicia interjected, "according to Galactic Standards of Work Ethics reinstituted by the Council after the war, all contracts in the juristicition of Council space and their member states were terminated due to the loss of the Citadel database, unless both parties agreed to continue collaboration. And since that's where you needed permits to report outside of Alliance space, Khalisah is no longer beholden to you, Mr. MCabe. I'm sorry."

"Stay out of this, blueberry," McCabe said as he pointed the ash end of his cigarette at her to both Khalisah's and Varicia's disgust.

"Mr. McCabe," Khalisah said with a frown, "I appreciate you coming all the way out here to try and recruit me, but the answer is still no. And I would appreciate it if you took your leave."

Both of them could tell veins were starting to appear on McCabe's forehead as he growled, "you can't walk out on me, Jilani. If you don't start putting out for Westerlund, you're finished. You hear me? Finished!"

Khalisah's eyes widened at his pronouncement and she turned to Varicia and asked, "did he just threaten me?"

Varicia, now with a frown of her own, nodded. "Yes. That does appear to be the case."

"And you got it recorded?" she asked calmly.

Varicia nodded. "Of course."

"Good," she said before she quickly turned back and without warning, her fist flew and connected into McCabe's face. She could have sworn she heard something splash when her fist connected. He tumbled down the steps of hers and Varicia's home and into the gate. He was about to stand up and get his revenge on Khalisah when he saw her with her omni-tool on and speaking into it, saying,

"Hello. Security? Yes, this is al-Jilani. My bondmate and I are being harassed by an unwelcomed person and he was threatening us. Yes."

Aware that if he didn't get out of there, he was done for, he picked himself up and dove back into his rented car. When he drove away, Varicia turned to Khalisah and asked, "you weren't really calling security, were you?"

"Of course not. McCabe's never been the kind to face any sort of legal action unless he had his lawyers on hand. The man had harassment cases stacked a mile high," Khalisah said with a frown.

"Besides, I don't think he was being entirely forthcoming about Westerlund," she said as she led Khalisah back inside.

"What?"

"Well, since there was nothing left of Westerlund, McCabe was most like barely holding on as it was. I would imagine he wanted you back to start over, because I recall hearing on Galactic Commons Radio that he'd been caught in a few scandals involving his 'investors'."

"Again, what?"

"The people who were funding Westerlund were also Cerberus investors. Since Cerberus' backers all died in the war, Westerlund's gone with them."

"Good!"

"One last thing, though," Varicia asked as she drew close to Khalisah, "you called me your bondmate. That's usually a term most non-asari spouses refer to their asari mates."

Khaisah's hands slowly crawled up Varicia's sides. "I guess I did, didn't I?"

"Does that mean that we can finally Bond? We can start a family of our own?" she asked, trying to keep her quickly beating heart in check.

Khalisah's hands slowly, and gently, cupped Varicia's head. She then leaned in and kissed her with all the passion and affection that had developed over the past several years. Their lips glided over each other, both failing to keep the passion inside in check as Varicia's arm slowly wrapped around Khalisah's shoulders. When they parted, Varicia was panting, her face was flush, and her eyes were fighting against the instinct to induce the melding state.

"Oh, Goddess…" Varicia moaned.

"Does that answer your question?"Khalisah asked with a sultry grin as she led Varicia to her bedroom.

Varicia felt like a Maiden again. Except instead of constant study and boring lectures about laws from the various galactic cultures, it was serious melding with the woman she loved. The human woman whose child she'd gladly bear.

Feeling bold, Varicia led her to the bed and gently eased her down with her back on the silk sheets. She crawled over her human love and kissed her once more, gently moving the few strands of hair out of the way.

"May I show you pleasure, Khalisah?" she whispered as their hands interlinked with each other.

Waiting for this moment for so long, she nodded. "Show me, Varicia S'Tonu."

The asari took one of her hands and traced it across Khalisah's face, then around her jaw before it slowly went down her neck to open the dress she had been wearing. Each inch of tantalizing flesh that appeared pleased Varicia as she leaned down and kissed down her neck and to her collarbone.

With her torso exposed, the asari's kisses went further down to caress and gently mold the warm and soft skin of Khalisah's bosom. The human gasped at Varicia's touch as she went further down to nuzzle the enticing skin around her belly button. Her heart began to beat faster and her breath followed suit as the asari's affection made her arch her back happily.

Finally, with soft and deliberate strokes, Varicia began to stroke the most sensitive part of Khalisah's nether regions. She gasped at the attention and clamped her eyes shut the more agonizingly wonderful Varicia's touch was.

That was one of the reasons why Khalisah loved Varicia so. She was always considerate, which often left Khalisah flustered, because she would sometimes wonder if she was being a poor lover by being so easily stimulated.

"Khalisah..." Varicia murmured happily.

"Var... please..." she moaned, feeling the perspiration on her forehead gather more as she felt the peak grow closer. However, as if she knew, Varicia made the ascent slower and more deliberate.

Between gasps, she looked down and smirked, "you're terrible, you know that?" she then reached down and pulled Varicia up to kiss her full on the lips.

"I'm sorry. I only wished that you enjoy this," Varicia tried to apologize. Yet, even with Khalisah's moving her face to face, she still held Khalisah's pleasure in her hands as she continued to caress the human's body in ways that made her lover mewl.

"Then, stop letting me take it all. It's not right that it's just me," she panted with a frustrated smirk. "You can come in, I promise I won't bite."

"Very well, my heart," she whispered as she once again straddled Khalisah and then whispered, "Embrace Eternity."

Immediately, their connection created a mental symphony. Every aspect of their minds slowly swirled together to create a beautiful radiance that caused both of them to gasp in delight that few outside of the asari truly knew.

As their two essences became one, their united nervous systems lit up as the climax of emotion and feeling left them both deprived of strength.

Khalisah fought for air as Varicia tumbled to her side, just as exhausted as she was. It had been early afternoon when they had began and judging by the dusk in the window, the amount of time it had taken was greater than they thought.

Between breaths, Khalisah noted, "that was... wow…"

Varicia continued to nuzzle her neck and adorn it with kisses as she whispered, "I know, right?"

With what little reserves left, Khalisah draw the sheets above them both and as Varicia fell to sleep, Khalisah pecked her on the smooth skin of her forehead.

She looked up to the ceiling, struggling to stay away as she silently thanked Emily, Shepard, her father, her brother, all those who helped make this possible. She fought back a chuckle, since 'Fractured, but Functional' had yet to win any awards.

Oh well. Wasn't the end of the world, besides, all things considered, the one she lived in now wasn't so bad at all.

The End.

* * *

Post-Script:

I'd like to thank the Academy for... oh, wait, wrong script.

All joking aside, I want to thank all the people who had given me ideas while writing this. Several characters in this story would not have had as big an impact as they did had I had not the repeated exposure to how awesome characters like Tevos and Aethyta are.

The idea of writing a story about Khalisah had been stewing in the back of my head for the longest time and it wasn't until Khalisah socked my Shepard in ME3 did I realize that there was more to this character than the punching bag the fandom very cruelly reduces her to.

A friend that I regularly correspond with told me once that she believed that she truly felt herself working in humanity's best interests, even though she was doing it in a manner that, in retrospect, kind of makes sense. Though, I'd have taken out the whole aspect of her getting beaten on a regular basis, out, because, ideally, I don't think we should be hitting each other at all, let alone over differing opinions, but I digress.

Varicia also came from the single clip of seeing Khalisah make out with a random asari in the Shadow Broker's files and that surprised me and gave me ideas that she was more than just a Glenn Beck/Bill O'Reily/Rush Limbaugh caricature. She's also not a soldier, so, naturally, wouldn't make much sense to have her fighting as much as the main cast of Mass Effect has.

I'd like to thank my BFF, **Loethlin** for her constant, and helpful, feedback to make sure I wasn't going off on the rails. In fact, most of these stories about/with Nora Shepard were spurred on by her influence from when we met from the Mass Effect Kink meme so long ago. :)

I'd like to also extend my thanks to **ChristineFury**, my partner in the Big Bang for providing the wonderful artwork for this project and I hope that she continues to enjoy what she does and improve.

Then, there's **Sachehund**, **Spicyshimmy**,** rl-james**, and **Dr. Jekyl** from Tumblr, whose ideas and conversations gave me many ideas. Especially **Spicyshimmy**, because of her News Show/Mass Effect Crossover ideas. There aside from the ones I listed already in the story, there was also J'on Stewart and Stevan Kolber, a turian and salarian, respectively. It was an awesome idea and I want to make sure that Shimmy gets proper credit for coming up with it in the first place!

I also want to thank the heads of the Big Bang for being so lenient and patient with me, because I was almost tempted to drop out of this one because the ideas just weren't coming at first. And look where we are now?!

As a separate note; I wanted to include interviews with Aria, Councilor (or in this case, Chairwoman of the Oversight Committee) Iressa, and Kolyat, however, couldn't fit them in. The former because Nora's experience with gang activity would have at least painted them as somewhat kindred spirits and the latter because I envisioned Nora looking up to both Samara and Thane as exmaplars for the kind of self-control she felt she lacked after her resurrection. I may come back to this story and add more, but right now, I think I've earned a nice break.

Thank you for reading and have a nice day. :)


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